ILOILO CITY -– The Provincial Government of Guimaras headed by re-elected Governor Samuel Gumarin will file charges against the City Government of Iloilo and Double Dragon Properties for double charging passengers using the newly constructed terminal.
Passengers are reportedly charged P11 everytime it uses the newly constructed ferry terminal by Double Dragon on top of the regular pumpboat fare.
Guimaras Vice Governor-elect Eduard Gando said they are finalizing the charges to be filed this week by asking the court to issue a declaratory relief with plea for a temporary restraining order, temporary injunction and permanent injunction as Double Dragon prepares the inauguration of its City Mall and ferry terminal building on June 23.
The City Government of Iloilo and Double Dragon inked a joint venture agreement in October 2012 with the city providing some one hectare of city-owned land along the Parola area for Double Dragon to build a P130 million ferry terminal for passengers going to Guimaras and back.
The joint venture also provides a space for a commercial area supposed to accommodate Parola vendors but it was a City Mall of Double Dragon that rose in the area.
Gando said the Iloilo City Ferry Terminal Corporation owned by Double Dragon has a counter proposal of P8 terminal fee which is still not acceptable to the Guimaras people plying Guimaras to Iloilo City and back.
Some 10,000 boat passengers composed mostly of workers and students are using the ferry boats in going to the two wharves in Guimaras, the Jordan wharf in the municipalities of Jordan, Nueva Valencia and Sibunag and the Buenavista wharf in going to the municipalities of Buenavista and San Lorenzo.
Gando said they are also questioning the construction of a private City Mall in a government-owned property and the management of the new ferry terminal.
Other provisions of the joint agreement of which Guimaras officials are not aware of is the closure of the Ortiz wharf for passengers going to Jordan and the Parola wharf for passengers going to Buenavista. The joint agreement specifies that there is only one ferry terminal and wharf for all passengers going to Guimaras, Gando said.