Thursday, January 31, 2008 Seares: Overpricing, overspending By Pachico A. Seares News Sense
IN the new turn of debate over the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña seems to have confused overspending with overpricing.
After contractor WTCI filed a civil suit to collect P261 million from Cebu Province and Capitol publicly rejected the claim, Mayor Tomas said the complaint confirms what businessman Cris Saavedra has alleged about CICC, that it is "overpriced."
Capitol fired back with a shot, from Rep. Pablo John Garcia, that if CICC is overpriced, then the Cebu City Sports Center is also overpriced.
The mayor retorted that City Hall did "overspend" on the sports center (P30 million on top of P180 million) but it didn't hide it. He said Gov. Gwen Garcia reported only P581.27 million last May as CICC cost. (She reported the P261 million, Capitol said, days later at an 888 press forum.)
So, is it overspending, not overpricing?
The difference
To overprice is to charge higher than what a project actually costs. Padded tab means graft.
To overspend is to spend extravagantly or to spend more than what was approved. It is to splurge with no proper authority.
Overspending isn't necessarily overpricing although overpricing often entails overspending.
If Capitol and City Hall overspent, they must account for it with COA, the legislature, the court if anyone sues, and maybe with voters in the next elections.
If they overpriced, the act is criminal, not just bureaucratic or political misstep. Culprits go to jail if the crime is proved.
At this stage, no one can call the CICC overpriced. It requires more than suspicion to publicly allege that it is.
