Tuesday, May 27, 2008 Jonas vows to finish opposition’s projects
MANDAUE City Councilor Victor Biano rejected Mayor Jonas Cortes’ peace offer.
Still, Cortes promised to complete this year projects initiated by the opposition.
Cortes identified the two projects as the P20 million Tabok road widening project, which is still in the drawing board, and the P20 million G. Ouano Ext., which he promised to complete in the third quarter of this year.
The start of Tabok project is being pushed by former Tabok barangay captain now City Councilor Emil Rosal, an opposition member.
On the other hand, the G. Ouano Ext. project, which started in November 2001, was started during the term of mayor Thadeo Ouano. The project was supposed to be completed within 140 days but got stalled for unknown reasons.
Cortes said he’d rather concentrate on projects that will improve the city.
After Biaño described the mayor’s broken arrow offer as a media mileage, he sent text messages to newspaper reporters covering Mandaue city yesterday. He said he will not smoke the mayor’s “peace pipe” unless the mayor changes his style of governance, commits no abuse, believes less in his legal advisers and be sincere and respectful in dealing with the city council.
But Cortes said he will gain nothing from answering Biaño.
No funds
He instead announced to reporters that he already approved the loan for the Tabok project after city treasurer Lorna Atega made it clear that no funds had been released for it.
Cortes said the City has to consider the interests of the business establishments in the area who will benefit from the project.
The Tabok project was supposed to be funded through a supplemental budget through a loan from Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP). But the loan didn’t push through because it was already election time and Ouano was already suspended.
The other project had funds and had already started.
Named after former mayor Alfredo “Pedong” Ouano’s father Gerardo, G. Ouano Ext. is a 150-meter four-lane road. It extends from G. Ouano St. at the corner of S.B. Cabahug St. to M.C. Briones Highway.
The extension road is between United Nations Ave. and A.C. Cortes Ave., roads that go straight to the two Mactan-Mandaue bridges.
The opening of the extension road near the corner of M.C. Briones was already concreted.
But shanties had already sprung up on the sidewalk. Cortes said their owners were already told that these will be demolished.
Once completed the extension road will connect Barangay Opao to M.C. Briones highway. According to city engineer Antonio Sanchez, this will decongest traffic going to Lapu-Lapu City and Cebu City.
Sanchez said his office is focusing its attention on the completion of the city’s stalled projects.
The extension project was financed using the City’s P250 million credit line with LBP. (OCP)
