Saturday, July 12, 2008 Ruiz ‘informed’ CH on projects
REP. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu, 6th district) presented documents to disprove Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes’ earlier pronouncement on her failure to coordinate with City Hall on the implementation of her projects.
Soon-Ruiz gave Sun.Star Cebu a copy of her letter last July 9 addressed to the mayor, and copies of her earlier letters informing him and other city officials of her projects.
All the letters are marked “received” by the Office of the Mayor.
“It appears now that you may not have been reading the above-mentioned official communications or did not tell the public the truth,” she told Cortes in the letter dated
July 9.
Cortes admitted receiving the letters, but said that these are not enough.
What they need, he said, are the details of each project so it will not duplicate, but rather, complement those being undertaken by City Hall.
Different
“Information and coordination are two different things,” the mayor said.
Soon-Ruiz said she has done her part in communicating with the mayor as a sign of respect. But the mayor did not answer all her letters and did not call or write a letter to express his thoughts on her projects.
“It would indeed be in the spirit of closer coordination if you can also update my office of the City’s plans and projects for my guidance,” Soon-Ruiz’s letter read.
Attached to the copy of the letter sent to Sun.Star Cebu were other letters where her projects were enumerated. All letters were marked “received” by the mayor’s office.
As for Cortes’ remarks about her name being written on the billboards posted in the area where her projects are, Ruiz said this is meant to inform the people where their taxes go.
“Lest the public will suspect that it is not being used for their benefit in terms of development projects,” she said in her letter.
She said that if the mayor prefers not to put his name on all of his development projects, ”then it is your prerogative.”
In an open forum with reporters before his State of the City Address earlier this week, Cortes said he welcomes Soon-Ruiz’s projects and financial support as long as these will benefit the people.
He further said that the more projects implemented in Mandaue City, the better for the constituents.
Purpose
But some projects do not serve their purpose, Cortes said. He cited the water catchment basin in Barangay Cabancalan where a pump is needed to drain the water accumulated along M.L. Quezon St.
“There is a drainage but there is no outlet,” said the mayor.
Cortes also cited another road project in Barangay Labogon.
When Soon-Ruiz concreted Fatima Road, which traverses Sitios Chicos and Labusac in Labogon, the road became elevated and the surrounding areas became flooded during heavy rains. The flood water accumulates and reportedly emits a foul smell.
Labogon Barangay Captain Damaso Tumulak said he is not against government projects, regardless of the source of funds.
He said, though, that comprehensive planning for all projects is necessary to make sure that local officials are consulted. (OCP)
