By Nitz Arancon
THE city council on Monday referred to its public utilities committee a call to investigate the controversial telephone project city hall carried out during the Emano administration.
The committee is chaired by Councilor Roger Abaday.
The move came after Councilor Enrico Salcedo sought an update on the status of the multimillion-peso “Telepono sa Barangay” project that was implemented in 2002 for 17 rural barangays here.
The project, amounting to some P50 million, was implemented with the firm Supplier-Contractor Networking Telecommu-nications (Scantel) contracted to set up the facility for city hall.
“I want to know if the phone system is functioning,” Salcedo told the city council.
Salcedo said he checked if there was a functioning Scantel phone in Indahag, one of the supposed beneficiaries of the project, and found none.
He said the Moreno administration should look into the Scantel project and see if it can address problems.
“We should all look into this so that we will know what action to take and so that the phone system would be functional and benefit people in rural areas especially in times of emergency,” Salcedo said.
The Scantel project became controversial following revelations that the contractor was paid over P30 million even before it can be turned over to city hall and despite the facility’s defects.
The National Telecommunication Commission (NTC) in the region also revealed that Scantel has no accreditation and permit.
Councilor Leon Gan, a political ally of former Mayor Vicente Emano who once served as city administrator, said a city council investigation could preempt a legal ruling.
“Kung ato kining imbistigahan, dili kaha kita ma-sub judice niini?” asked Gan.
He said he checked Barangay Besigan, and the Scantel system is allegedly functioning there.
Emano’s son-in-law, Councilor President Elipe, asserted that the Scantel phone system is functioning. Proof to this, he said, Mayor Oscar Moreno submitted a proposed budget for this year that included an appropriation for the rental of a Bayantel tower.
The Bayantel tower supposedly serves as an antenna for the Scantel phone system.
“If that’s not functioning, then the appropriation for the rental would have been removed from the mayor’s budget,” Elipe said.
Salcedo however said it was the previous administration and not Moreno’s that made an agreement with Bayantel.
“Mayor Moreno did not change Emano’s budget. He merely added so he could carry out more projects,” said Salcedo.
Disclaimer
Mindanao Gold Star Daily holds the copyrights of all articles and photos in perpetuity. Any unauthorized reproduction in any platform, electronic and hardcopy, shall be liable for copyright infringement under the Intellectual Property Rights Law of the Philippines.
