ILIGAN City ― The city government will decide on the fate of the contractor of the touted “world-class” market, soon. That is, whether to let BM Marketing, the contractor of the said market at Palao, this city finished it or not.
This was the gist of the statement of Atty. Robert Padilla, city legal officer on the matter, to reporters, who interviewed him over the weekend. He added that the said market, per the contract, ought to be finished within 549 calendar days but it wasn’t finished yet and the contractor was given another 318 days, lawyer added. But still, it remained unfinished within that time, the lawyer added.
There is, yet a “slippage” of 40 percent as it is only 60% completed, Padilla said. Under the law, it allows only 15 percent “slippage” and the contract “can be terminated” by the other party and in this case, the local government of Iligan.
According to a report of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) to the city, under city mayor Frederick Siao, the lawyer added, there are many violations, 38 of them.
Among them, are “there is no professional mechanical engineer,” and other required engineers like a sanitary engineer, no geodetic engineer, no structural engineer, and these with all the required five years of experience. He added the elevator that was acquired was not in accordance with the specifications too.
The PIU, he said, is a 14-man unit, and this report was given to the local government and said the contractor was required to correct such defects, but it did not do so, added the city legal officer.
The contractor was then instructed by the local government to submit a position paper on the matter within ten days. It did so and submitted said paper on February 2, of this year.
The said market should have been finished by November 3, last year, after seven requests for extensions. After the 7th request, which the city did not categorically grant, it then requested “an 8th extension.”
The said market has a project cost of P490 million and was started by the then-administration of Mayor Celso Regencia. They had then told residents proudly here that with the project no amount of loan was incurred by the city.
At present, with the position paper submitted to the city by the said contractor, the city is studying whether to terminate or not, the contractor, it was learned.
Earlier though, in a statement, former Vice Mayor Jemar Vera Cruz, told Siao that If there are really violations, they can sue the said contractor.
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