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Saturday, October 23, 2004
City Hall, Ace Builders in face-off anew
By Jennifer M. Depakakibo
THE City Government has scheduled another face-off with contractor Ace Builders and Enterprises (ABE) Inc. to discuss what Mayor Jerry Treñas calls an "amicable settlement" to resolve the long-delayed housing project controversy.
Treñas said Friday representatives of the City Legal Office and the City Engineer's Office will meet with their counterparts from ABE "possibly next week."
"The process is, we will sit down and (come up with) an amicable settlement with the contractor so that the city can go on with the project," he said.
The mayor said the City Government still has to seek a clearance from the Commission on Audit (COA) for the payment of its fourth progress billing amounting of P4.2 million.
We will wait for the contractor to turn over the project after the go-signal from the COA, he added.
"Tapuson ta gid ni (We'll really wrap this up)," Treñas said.
ABE legal counsel Leo Monserrate earlier wrote Trevas regarding the city's payment for the fourth progress billing.
According to City Legal Officer Edgardo Gil, the City Government still needs to secure a COA opinion before settling its bill with the contractor.
We are willing to pay provided COA approves it, he earlier said.
Including the fourth progress billing, the City Government owes ABE a total of P25.23 million. Of the total project cost of P125 million, the contractor has, so far, received P66.56 million from the City Government.
About two years ago, Treñas suspended the payment for the progress billing after the contractor was found to have used substandard materials.
The housing project for City Hall employees sits on a five-hectare lot in Ungka, Pavia.
Last month, Councilor Eduardo Peñaredondo, chair of the committee on housing, said the City Council could not make a stand on the issue because the case is already with Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.
Councilor Erwin Plagata, a member of the committee on good government, which forwarded to the Ombudsman a copy of their committee report on their investigation on the housing project, had also said the City Council "could do nothing but to wait for the resolution and order of the Ombudsman."
An Ombudsman-Visayas graft investigator earlier recommended that their office inquiry on the housing project be upgraded into a criminal and administrative charge for violation of R.A. 3019 and for gross neglect of duty against Treñas, City Administrator Melchor Tan, City Treasurer Katherine Tingson, and former City Engineer Edwin Bravo.
(October 23, 2004 issue)
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