THE Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas was asked to investigate two San Fernando, Cebu officials and a private contractor for allegedly conspiring to stop the construction of a private port in the municipality despite its having complied with requirements.
Engr. Ruben Feliciano yesterday filed criminal and administrative complaints against Mayor Lakambini Reluya, her husband Panadtaran Barangay Captain Ricardo Reluya and private respondent Teodoro Reyes for violating Republic Act 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Missing requirement
Reyes is the president of Melekon Contractors Inc.
“Clearly, the respondents...who acted in unison by conspiring and confederating with one another to deprived us the true and actual proponents of the port project,” read Feliciano’s complaint.
Captain Reluya, in an interview, said the project proponents need to secure first a notice to proceed with the port project from the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).
Without it, the barangay captain said, the Municipal Government cannot allow Feliciano’s firm to proceed with the project.
But lawyer Felizardo Tiu, one of the project proponents, told reporters that they have not yet secured the permit from the PRA since they’re not reclaiming the area yet.
Phase 1 of the project is still for the port, not the reclamation, he said.
“We will secure the notice from the PRA once we are done with phase 1. The reclamation is only one component of the port,” said Tiu.
Feliciano said that Mayor Reluya issued the executive order simply to protect the interest of Melekon Contractors.
The First Sangat SF International Port Corp. is proposing to build a P12.5-billion private commercial port in Barangay Sangat.
Feliciano said the First Sangat has complied with the necessary documents to proceed with the project.
These include the notice to proceed, environmental compliance certificate and area clearance issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources; permit to construct the port issued by the Cebu Port Authority; and clearance for the port/reclamation project issued by PRA, among others.
The proponent reportedly secured all the necessary permits concerning environmental issues, such as health safety, appropriate mitigating or enhancement measures, and monitoring requirements on the environmental impacts and management plan in the Environmental Impact Statement.
Liability
Despite having the groundbreaking in March, Feliciano alleged that Mayor Reluya “tried to influence and persuade” the Municipal Council to pass a resolution nullifying its previous resolution endorsing the port project.
Citing the council’s resolution, Mayor Reluya then issued an executive order “stringently suspending” any construction, development and reclamation projects in the coastline of Barangay Sangat.
“She (Mayor Reluya) is liable for peddling lies, abuse of power and baseless accusations which should not be countenanced and allowed to pass without penance of suspension and termination from office,” the complaint read.
Feliciano said the Reluyas are liable for conspiring indirectly to ask the project proponent to take part in the port operations.
Feliciano asked the ombudsman to place the Reluyas under preventive suspension while the investigation is ongoing to prevent them from tampering with the evidence.