Saturday, November 08, 2008 PJ accuses Tomas of being ‘confused’ on allegations vs. Capitol’s JV with Ayala
REP. Pablo John Garcia (Cebu Province, 3rd district) yesterday defended the Province’s dealings with the Cebu Property Ventures and Development Corp. (CPVDC), calling it the “most transparent joint venture corporation” between a private entity and a local government unit.
He also pointed out that the CPVDC was formed in 1990 yet, when Lito Osmeña was governor.
“Let’s put everything in perspective. (Cebu City Mayor) Tomas Osmeña asked for an accounting of the CPVDC as if this were the idea of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia,” said Pablo John, the governor’s brother.
“It is a private corporation and it has reportorial requirements with the Securities and Exchange Commission as a publicly-listed corporation,” Garcia said in a press conference held a day after the mayor challenged the Capitol to disclose how much the Province made from the Asiatown I.T. Park development.
The CPVDC website reports that 76.26 percent of CPVDC has belonged to Cebu Holdings Inc. since 1995, while the Province owns 8.28 percent.
“I don’t know if he (Osmeña) is deliberately trying to confuse the people as to the personalities and history involved, or whether it’s simply because he is under heavy medication,” Pablo John said.
Heed
He assured, however, that they will heed Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal’s appeal to stop trading insults with the mayor, adding they will stick to the issues.
Governor Garcia also urged Mayor Osmeña to “look back at the past and learn its lessons, in order for him to be equipped to face the challenges of the present.”
“If we cannot even recognize where we are, or what we are talking about, in accordance with a particular time, something is seriously wrong,” the governor said.
The mayor’s challenge for the Province to disclose how much it earned from recent CPVDC developments surfaced amid calls for the City to show transparency in transactions involving the South Road Properties. (GMD)
