By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
REP. Maximo Rodriguez of the city’s 2nd District was among those who signed a document that stopped the construction of a nearly P200-million twin four-story building project at the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines.
Rodriguez revealed this to the Gold Star Daily even as he lashed back at Wing-an Construction and Development Corp. president Selwyn Lao for allegedly smearing the name of murdered USTP president Ricardo Rotoras by linking the dead man to graft and corruption.
“Iya unta nang gibulgar adtong buhi pa si Dr. Ricardo Rotoras. Karon nga patay na si Dr. Rotoras, ayha pa siya nagsaba-saba. Unfair kaayo kay unsa-on ni Dr. Rotoras sa pag-depinsa nga wala na man siya,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez told the Gold Star Daily that he signed the 2017 resolution that terminated the contract between the state-owned university and Wing-an Construction as a member of the 12-person board of regents of the institution.
The congressman sits as a member of the university’s board of regents, representing the House committee on higher education.
The decision to terminate the contract was based on the official findings of USTP engineers that “dili maayo ang pagtrabaho,” and that the construction company violated several provisions in the project contract.
“Gi-evaluate siya. Na-a may iyang mga violation sa pag-construct. Mao tong gipahunong siya, gi-cancel ang kontrata. Gitan-aw sa usa ka evaluator ug ang result nakit-an nga ang ilang nahuman sa ilang trabaho 39 percent lang,” said Rodriguez.
The board, he said, decided to pay Wing-an Construction an amount corresponding to its 39-percent accomplishment but the firm’s president, Engr. Lao, rejected it.
It was a collective decision by the USTP board of regents, he said.
Lao, according to Rodriguez, insisted on collecting an amount corresponding to 60 percent to 70 percent of the project cost.
“Mao nang magapanghinadlok siya sa amo nga iya mang pasaka-an ug kaso,” Rodriguez said.
He said he welcomes Lao’s threat to file a case for damages against members of the USTP board of regents.
“Na-a may iyang mga abogado, na na-a man poy among abogado. So among tubagon kanang iyang ipasaka nga kaso batok kanamo,” Rodriguez said.
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