Monday, July 02, 2007 Comelec’s papers too heavy for new office By Rene H. Martel Sun.Star Staff Reporter
DUE to a “design defect” in the New Ramos Public Market’s second floor, which was built to serve as government offices, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) Cebu City office will still stay at the WDC building’s ground floor that the City Government is renting for P99,000 a month.
City Administrator Francisco Fernandez said structural engineers told him that the second floor may not be able to handle the weight of “tons” of the Comelec’s documents in steel filing cabinets.
He said the defect forced the City to continue renting the WDC building along Osmeña Blvd. for at least three more months while the Gotiaoco Building on D. Jakosalem St. across the Legislative Building is still being renovated.
The City is leasing the whole building for a “token” amount of P20,000 a month.
Fernandez said the City Hall had the Comelec in mind when the second floor was constructed, but they failed to anticipate the need for a sturdier structure to house the election office’s voluminous papers.
“Ilang records daghan kaayo. Dili man sad pwede nga ibuwag ang mga documents sa Comelec office, sa first floor pananglitan ibutang. Adto gyud sa taas kay they include sensitive documents (The office has to be on the same level as their files),” he said.
The Comelec was supposed to transfer to the market last March yet but begged off because it was in the thick of preparations for the May 14 elections.
“Ang design gud sa building wala na-anticipate nga daghang papeles, dili pwede. For example, ang mga voters’ registry. (We didn’t anticipate they would have so many papers.) Mga around 3,000 precincts gud na kana lang. We can never gamble on safety,” Fernandez said.
The Department of Interior and Local Government-Cebu City; and City Hall’s Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW), General Services Office (GSO) sections, and Department of Manpower Development and Placement have already moved in.
Fernandez said they will just look for other City offices that could be accommodated along with the said offices.
The DEPW is temporarily using the market while the Gotiaco Building’s renovation is still ongoing.
Fernandez said the City also intends to acquire the Gotiaco building, which sits on a Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-owned lot.
He said the Gotiaoco family’s lease agreement with DENR expires four years from now, and the City Government will try to negotiate with the agency to buy the lot.
