|
Sunday, March 09, 2003
Megadome lawsuit 'to hurt hospitals'
By Karen M. Flores
CEBU - As he and four other members of the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) prepare to file a case to stop the megadome project this week, PB Member Orvi Ortega Saturday asked Cebuanos in the province and Capitol employees to "make a little sacrifice."
When Ortega and the four other opposers of the megadome file the case in court, appropriations for basic services as well as cash benefits for Capitol employees may be held as well.
The group, members of which include three lawyers (including Ortega), will be questioning the legality of the P599.6-million supplemental budget approved last week that included an appropriation for the P250-million megadome.
They will ask the court to stop Gov. Pablo Garcia from making disbursements from it.
This means other items in the budget, like money set aside to improve roads (P180 million) and district hospitals (P36 million), as well as the funds for the loyalty cash awards of Capitol employees, may also be affected.
"Mo-hangyo lang mi nga ablihan unta nato ang atong huna-huna ug kasing-kasing. (We are asking people to open their minds and their hearts.) Let us contribute to this noble crusade to save our money," Ortega said in an interview over radio dyLA.
Ortega said that along with Members Joven Mondigo, Jose Ma. Gastardo, Greg Sanchez and Michael Miranda, he will ask the court to clarify if there were enough votes that approved the supplemental budget.
They will include in their motion a petition for a preliminary injunction and a temporary restraining order.
Ortega said they have to file the motion soon because "time is of the essence here."
In the next two weeks, Garcia will already launch the contest among architects and their firms to see who can produce the best design for the megadome.
The facility will be constructed on a 4.3-hectare property of the Mandaue City Government at the North Reclamation Area.
Ortega and his allies oppose the project because they think the money would be better spent on basic services and other undertakings that will benefit the five other districts in the province.
While the megadome is not a bad project per se, he said now is not the time to build it because a lot still needs to be done for livelihood, water and electrification, among other concerns.(Sun.Star Cebu) |
|
|
|
 |
| click
to comment on this article or discuss it with other readers |
[return to top]
[home]
|
|
RP to sue HK over Pinay maids wage cut