By BEN SERRANO
Correspondent
BUTUAN City–The Construction Industry Arbitration Commission (Ciac) has cleared the construction firm from any wrongdoing in connection with two projects amounting to P120 million.
Ciac also ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Region 10 to pay the firm SCP Construction some P16.006 million. The amount represents the balance, and moral and exemplary damages.
Councilor Sergio Pascual, SCP owner, said the DPWH failed to fully pay the firm despite the the completion of the two projects in 2011 and 2012.
The non-payment prompted Pascual to bring his case to the government’s arbitrary body composed of lawyers and engineers.
In his complaint, Pascual said his firm was also blacklisted by DPWH causing him “embarrassment, sleepless nights, total disappointment” and financial losses.
The reason for the blacklisting of Pascual’s firm is unclear.
In a 41-page Ciac resolution dated April 15, 2016, lawyer and civil engineer Reynaldo Cortes, Engr. Wilfredo Guerzon, and lawyer Teodoro Baroque, stated that there was no reason for DPWH not to fully pay SCP Construction because the firm followed the requirements of the public works department.
The ruling was made after the Ciac sent teams to inspect the projects.
The inspections were conducted in the presence of government and private sector representatives as part of arbitrary proceedings, said Pascual.
The projects include the nearly P96-million road concreting project (Junction 5 of Sayre Highway-Aglayan-Alanib, Ticlaan road, Ticlaan Pagana section) in Bukidnon, and the P25-million road upgrading of a road from Gingoog City to the municipalities of Claveria and Villanueva in Misamis Oriental.
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