BACOLOD City Councilor Wilson Gamboa Jr. urged Mayor Evelio Leonardia to form an independent fact-finding committee to conduct a deeper investigation on the construction of P4.8-million Halandumon Tower at Gonzaga-Gatuslao streets, Barangay 12.
Gamboa said Thursday, January 30, the mayor should form an independent fact-finding committee to defray negative public perception and public doubts on the construction of the tower.
“This is already a “halam-utan tower” or funny tower after it went viral on social media where several pictures of the cartoon characters were placed on the tower, and after three months, there was a problem on its lights and last week it was also hit by vehicle where it went viral again and the edited picture of Mayor Leonardia was placed on the damaged tower. The netizens made it for fun,” he said.
The Halandumon Tower was built in commemoration of the 80th year of Bacolod in 2018.
In 2019, several netizens on social media criticized the project when it was inaugurated on June 18.
On January 24, the panels two and three of Halandumon Tower were damaged after it was hit by Ford Everest vehicle driven by Inhwan Shin, 46, and temporarily staying at Lopues Square, Barangay Tangub, Bacolod.
Project Engineer Loben Ceballos, of City Engineer’s Office (CEO), also explained on Monday that the damaged panels two and three were made of lightweight concrete which is not sub-standard.
He said the components of the lightweight concrete include silica fumes, super plasticizer, PP fibren, polyesterene beads, Portland cement, mixing sand, 8mm reinforcing bars and water.
“The chemicals present in silica fumes are the reason why the panels are lightweight. Solid panels are very heavy,” he added.
The Humming Bird Construction and Supply Corp., the contractor of Halandumon Tower in Bacolod City, was already given three months to finish the repair of the tower.
Gamboa also countered that it’s only normal that the project engineer will defend the tower.
“He’s a project engineer (Ceballos) and definitely he will defend that. This is my challenge to our mayor that he has to come out clean because his name was already dragged on this issue after he issued a statement supporting the claim of the City Engineer’s Office that the tower was built on solid and strong foundation, but after it was hit by vehicle we saw a hallow wall and the materials were made of substandard light materials,” he said.
He added that in order for the mayor to come out clean, he has to create independent fact-finding committee otherwise this will eventually become a symbol of corruption.
Ceballos earlier said the structure is made of steel materials, its column cover made of light wall concrete, and the Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting is programmable weather proof.
He said that based on the program of works, the project is not overpriced.
“Halandumon” is Hiligaynon for “memorable” or “worthy to be remembered.
Meanwhile, Vice Mayor El Cid Familiaran said all the city government projects also passed through with the Commission on Audit (COA).
“So the final arbiter (if there’s an anomaly) is the COA. It’s uncalled for and irresponsible to call it “Halam-utan tower.” It’s irresponsible statement coming from an elected official. He (Gamboa) has no basis. He can pass a resolution so that it will be explained to him,” he said. (MAP)