THE writing on the wall was there early on.
Gwen Garcia had expressed her opposition when she got wind of then governor Hilario Davide III’s plan to build a 20-story building inside the Capitol compound where the old Baex building used to stand.
The Baex building had been heavily damaged during the October 2013 earthquake.
Last December, the then third district representative sought the assistance of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) to issue a cease and desist order against the Province to prevent it from implementing the P1.3-billion project.
NHCP Chairman Rene Escalante earlier said the Province could not proceed with the project as its design could affect the historical value of the old Capitol building, which was declared a national landmark.
But did Davide listen?
In a rare show of defiance and resolve, the now Vice Governor Davide slammed his critics instead, saying only the court could stop the project.
In February, his administration then proceeded with the project’s groundbreaking, assuring taxpayers that the P1.3-billion facility would not be a burden to them.
Last March, Garcia and then Provincial Board (PB) member Alex Binghay filed an injunction suit to stop the building’s construction on the grounds that Davide did not have the authority from the PB to enter into contracts with the Development Bank of the Philippines and WT Construction Inc. and ignored other lawful legal procedures.
Then the midterm elections happened last May.
Well, we all know who emerged victorious. Davide’s ally, then vice governor Agnes Magpale, lost to Garcia in the gubernatorial elections.
And yet, work on the building did not stop. The contractor proceeded to dig a big hole on the ground for its foundation.
Last month, Garcia’s transition team hand-delivered a letter to the outgoing governor’s office, telling Davide that the project would not be included in her program of government once she assumed office at noon of June 30.
The warning must have fallen on deaf ears because Garcia, on the morning of July 1, after her first flag ceremony at the Capitol after a six-year absence, issued Executive Order 1 to immediately stop and permanently discontinue all works related to the 20-story facility.
She also emphasized that the gaping hole could not be left in its current state, and that the Province would not pay for any improvements or for backfilling the excavated project site.
And so WT Construction may have to shell out close to P7 million to restore to level ground the excavated area.
Now why do I feel like telling the contractor, “I told you so?”