Nene on unfinished convention center: ‘GMA’s fault’

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent .

FORMER Senate President Aquilino Pimentel, Jr. has placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo for the non-completion of his pet project, the International Convention Center in Sitio Taguanao, Barangay Indahag, this city.

Pimentel said Arroyo, now a Pampanga congresswoman, did not release the funds for the project, adding that he was a victim of partisan politics.

“I happened to be with the opposition at that time. In brief, she allowed political partisan consideration to prevail over the good of the people of Cagayan de Oro. The funds were already allocated for the project,” Pimentel said.

The Department of Public Works and Highways was commissioned to construct the convention in 2001. The DPWH started constructing the convention center on June 30, 2001, with a target date for completion on Aug. 18, 2003. However, 15 years later, it has yet to be finished.

Pimentel said he would have wanted the convention center to be the hub for socio-cultural events in Mindanao.

The convention center is designed to accommodate 7,700 people and has been constructed on a one-hectare property.

Some P349,994,847.88 had been allocated for the convention center which was taken from the Priority Development Assistance Fund of the then senator.

Pimentel said he passed the fund allocation to the Department of Budget and Management for safekeeping adding that the DBM would give it to the DPWH once the latter decides to continue constructing the convention center.

He said he did not keep the fund allocation for the implementation of the project lest he might be suspected of favoring a private contractor.

“The money has been provided and I want that every centavo on that has been accounted for,” Pimentel said.

Pimentel is now a member of President Duterte’s Consultative Committee (Concom) that is reviewing and making its recommendations pertaining to a planned shift to a federal form of government via Charter change.

Pimentel’s son and namesake Aquilino Martin III is the Senate president, and is the president of the administration PDP-Laban, a party founded by the ex-senator. Incidentally, Arroyo joined the PDP-Laban last year.