Tomas stops Unit 2 construction

CEBU, Philippines - The construction of Unit II Carbon Market has been stopped after Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña rescinded the contract with the winning bidder because of alleged anomalies.

The mayor asked the people to understand his decision why he had to drop the contract with Geety Realty And Development Corporation.

“I will be arranging a dialogue with the concerned stakeholders in Carbon market because as usual they are blaming me. How can you blame me, the corruption is not mine. It’s my job to protect the interest of the city,” he told reporters.

It was last year when he also filed a criminal complaint against former mayor Michael Rama and 19 other officials for alleged violation of the anti-graft law and Government Procurement Act before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.

In April 2013, the contractor has started the P167-million project and has targeted to finish by April 2014. But it has been suspended several times because the contractor failed to secure various permits. In 1998, the old Unit II Carbon Market was razed by fire.

It was on August 22 when Osmeña issued the order of termination of contract to the contractor. In the letter, he said he has found no cogent reason why the contract should not be terminated on the ground of work slippage.

He said contractor has incurred a “heavy slippage of 35.21 percent and 196 days delay” in the completion of the project which is contrary to the conditions stated in the contract.

“You are hereby notified that the whole contract is ordered terminated on the ground of default or undue delay in the prosecution of contract of work pursuant to the pertinent provisions of the R.A 9184 (Government Procurement Reform Act),” the letter reads.

Osmeña said Geety Realty and Development Corporation is not authorized to do projects more than P50 million. But, he said the previous administration approved the project of over P160 million for the first phase.

“We are going to file charges against all the members of BAC (Bids and Awards Committee, the previous BAC. Geety also fabricated their BIR clearance,” he said.

When asked if the city government would rebid the project to another contractor, he said it would be a lengthy process.

“That’s a lengthy process because one, we have to do a formal assessment of how much work has been done. Then we have to re bud out the balance of the work that has to be done,” he said.

Three major grounds were cited by Osmeña that led in the termination of the works; “heavy slippage;” contractor is not authorized to engage in the project; and falsification of public documents. (FREEMAN)