Saturday, December 29, 2007 Capitol welcomes inquiry of Senate on CICC expenses
THE building of the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) should have been a local issue but since it has caught the eye of a senator, then the Provincial Government welcomes an inquiry.
“We welcome an investigation, if any. At the very least we can tell the good senator that the CICC did not involve national funds, it’s purely local funds,” lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda said in a text message to Sun.Star Cebu. He’s the Capitol consultant on information.
In a press release to Sun.Star Cebu, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said he has urged the Senate Blue Ribbon committee to investigate alleged overpricing in the construction of the CICC and other preparations during the 12th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit last January.
Sepulveda, however, explained that the CICC project was not part of the P3.5 billion in national funds spent on Asean summit-related projects.
“It’s his prerogative (to call for a Senate inquiry). The Provincial Government has nothing to hide,” said Vice Gov. Gregorio Sanchez Jr., when asked for a comment. Like Sepulveda, Sanchez said that the CICC relied on the Province’s funds and not national resources.
“It is a world-class building that did not even cost a billion pesos and was an important aspect in the successful Asean summit,” Sanchez continued.
“We are now reaping the benefits of the Asean summit, with bookings at the internationally known CICC and foreign investments pouring in,” Sanchez said.
Lacson’s bid for an investigation stemmed from a letter-request that businessman Crisologo Saavedra sent to the Senate, in which he claimed that some P3.5 billion in taxpayers’ money was “wasted” on projects for the Asean summit.
Saavedra also alleged that there was overpricing in the building of the CICC.
“We hope he (Lacson) is not getting wrong information from a KSP (kulang sa pansin),” Sepulveda said. (JGA)
