Council wants to "scrutinize" PJ's claim on Taguig City - RII Builders agreement

CEBU, Philippines – The City Council is urging Cebu third district Representative Pablo John Garcia to furnish the body a copy of the Joint Venture Agreement between the City of Taguig and RII Builders.

Councilor Hilario Davide III said the council would want to take a personal look at the agreement and compare it to the JVA the city entered into with Filinvest Land Incorporated for development of lots at the South Road Properties.

More importantly, Davide said they would want to verify Garcia’s claim that the city’s 10 percent share revenues from the JVA with FLI is “paltry” compared to Taguig City’s 69 percent share from the JVA with RII Builders.

Davide said during Garcia’s privilege speech in Congress, the congressman reportedly missed the other important component of the agreement between Taguig City and RII Builders.

“Incidentally, the JVA between Taguig and RII has two components; one the Skyline City, which Cong. Garcia mentioned in his speech and two, the housing project on over two hectares of land for policemen, teachers and employees of Taguig City Government which he failed to mention,” Davide said.

In his privilege speech last month, Garcia had called for a House Inquiry into the JVA the city entered into with FLI, saying the agreement has “questionable” provisions.

Last Wednesday, Davide said it is now the time for the city to “scrutinize” Garcia’s claims.

The rift between the city and province over the controversial JVA agreement between the city and FLI sparked after the city rejected Capitol’s competitive challenge to FLI’s unsolicited proposal to develop 50.6 hectares at the SRP.

The city’s Joint Venture Selection Committee rejected Capitol’s competitive challenge twice for three main reasons- lack of identity or jurisdiction, lack of financial capacity and lack of technical capability to mount a project of the same nature.

The Province, however, considered the rejection as a retaliatory move on the part of the city on the failed land-swap deal that affected over 5,000 of the city’s residents living in provincial lots. – Ferliza C. Contratista/JMO (THE FREEMAN)