Tomas to file case vs dorm contractor

CEBU, Philippines — Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña will file charges against the contractor of the four-storey Hillyland dormitory for building the structure without doing soil test.

The mayor said he inherited the sins of the previous administration on the questions of the structural integrity of the building.

In his press conference yesterday, the mayor said he will pursue filing charges against the contractor, which is reportedly affiliated with Allan Dino, brother of Office of the Presidential Assistant for Visayas Michael Dino.

“The case we are going to file against Dino now is, why did he build that building without doing a soil test that would show a sinkhole?” Osmeña said.

The mayor’s plan to convert the dormitory into a study area drew criticisms from Councilors Joel Garganera and Pastor Alcover, Jr.

Garganera and Alcover expressed their concern on the changing of plans of the mayor which may harm the students who will soon use the building to study.

They said the mayor already announced the demolition of the building after he received recommendations from city’s Department of Engineering and Public Works and Mines and Geosciences Bureau-7.

It was earlier reported that there’s a sinkhole within the area causing Osmeña to order at least 417 students from different mountain barangays to vacate the dormitory last year.

Osmeña said the Barug Team Rama councilors should have also raised the question during the previous administration.

“My job is not to waste anything as much as possible. If we can’t use the place then we can’t use the place. But it’s just my job whatever we have, we try to save whatever we can,” the mayor said.

The mayor said he asked his good friend Pericles Dakay, who is the best structural engineer for him, on the possibility to demolish only two floors to make the weight of the building lighter.

Osmeña said he was told that there is a technology that can be applied to make the building structurally sound.

He said it would be expensive to construct another building for the study center of the students.

“So, that’s my fault. My fault because I have to pay for the sins of Team Rama,” he said.

To recall, the Sandiganbayan dismissed the graft cases against former Cebu City mayor Alvin Garcia and members of the pre-qualification Bids and Awards Committee, namely former city councilors Laurito Malinao, Rodolfo Cabrera and Rico Rey Holganza; city treasurer Eustaquio Cesa; and Pura Cimafranca, who was a private representative.

The former public officials were accused of violating the Republic Act 3019 or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act for allegedly giving "unwarranted benefits" to local firm Octa Builders, Inc. that was awarded an “overpriced” P26.64-million contract for a medium-rise, low-cost infrastructure project "intended for the underprivileged constituents."

But the case was dismissed due to "inordinate delay" by the Office of the Ombudsman in resolving the complaint against the public officials as it violated their constitutional right to speedy disposition of cases. (FREEMAN)