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Wednesday, January 15, 2003
Shouting match mars PPA-city deal hearing
By Charles Raymond Maxey
DAVAO -- Amendments to the controversial memorandum of agreement between the Philippine Ports Authority and the Davao City Government were approved by the City Council Tuesday, but only after a five-hour debate highlighted by a shouting match between two councilors.
The Council voted 18-5 in favor of a measure requesting Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte to negotiate with the PPA to change the memorandum by deleting Section 15 and several other provisions of the agreement.
Section 15 of the memorandum states that only the City of Davao has the sole authority to maintain and develop the Sta. Ana wharf.
The approval of the resolution came after a shouting match between Councilors Leonardo Avila III and Liborio V. Lumain, author of the measure.
Lumain wants Section 15 deleted because this will pave the way for the entry of a foreign firm interested in investing US$50 million in the city.
At one time during the deliberations, which dragged well into the afternoon, Lumain and Avila engaged in a fiery verbal exchange that prompted Majority Floor leader Victorio Advincula into intervening.
Avila asked Lumain why he was in such a hurry to have the proposal approved.
"Why are you in a hurry?" Avila asked in a raised voice.
Lumain yelled back: "I'm in a hurry because it is not easy to talk with people with 50 million dollars."
"I'm in a hurry because there is nothing harmful to the proposal. If you are thinking that I will make money out of this, you are wrong," Lumain added.
Lumain said he was expecting representatives from Palafox developers, the prospective investors, to come over next Tuesday to do some presentation.
"I'm in a hurry because there is money," he also told Militar and within earshot of several reporters.
Not satisfied, Lumain asked one a member of his staff to get the illustration of Palafox's proposed projects for Sta. Ana and showed this to Avila.
Lumain also dismissed allegations there was something fishy behind the proposal and that some city councilors stood to receive windfall commissions by amending the contract.
Advincula, not wanting to let things go out of hand, cooled down his colleagues, saying that shouting to each other will only "destroy your eardrums."
"I'm asking the members of the Council to act with dignity and honor fit for our position," Advincula said.
Avila formally apologized to the presiding officer later, for accordingly "creating a stir a while ago."
Invited to the session were Atty. Wendel Avisado, executive director of the Davao Integrated Development Program, and Engineer Mario Luis Jacinto, head of the City Planning and Development Office, to hear their views on Lumain's proposal.
Those who voted in favor of the measure said the time has come for the city to allow a private entity to develop the Sta. Ana wharf.
Lumain said that aside from the millions of dollars of investment, the development of the port by a private corporation would also generate over 4,000 jobs.
He said the investors plan to put up four hotels and commercial buildings in Sta. Ana.
Five councilors, however, voted against the proposal, saying the matter needs careful study and that the Council might be misconstrued as favoring a certain private entity.
Those who voted against the proposal were Bonifacio E. Militar, Mabel Acosta, Avila, Angela Librado and Peter Laviņa.
Aside from Lumain, those in favor of the resolution were Nilo Abellera, Advincula, Alexis Almendras, Gerard Bangoy, Salvador Caingles, April Marie Dayap, Danilo Dayanghirang, Shane Dolor, Mabel Laman, Diosdado Mahipus, Tessie Mata-Mara¤on, Beethoven Orcullo, Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, Susabel Reta, Amil Manding and Isidro Ungab.
Councilor Jimmy Dureza abstained. Militar, on the other hand, said he could not vote for the proposal because the resolution is "defective."
"Let us exercise our legislative functions with utmost diligence," Militar said.
Mahipus, on the other hand, argued: "I don't see any reason why we have to make a lot of noise out of this proposal." Sun.Star Davao |
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