CEBU, Philippines – Now that he is back, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña dared Cebu 3rd District Rep. Pablo John Garcia to provide a copy of the joint venture contract which the latter claimed to be “seven times better” than the joint venture between City and Filinvest Land Inc.
Barely five hours since his plane touched down at the Mactan Cebu International Airport from Hong Kong, Osmeña dared Garcia to provide Cebu City, a copy of the joint venture contract between Taguig City and RII builders for the construction of low-cost housing for teachers and policemen.
The joint venture, according to Garcia’s privilege speech in Congress recently, assured the Taguig City government a 70 percent share, or seven times better than that of FLI.
The mayor gave a background that under the joint venture between Cebu City and FLI, the former gets a share of 10 percent the sales price for every unit sold or P10,500 for every square meter or whichever is higher.
“So is he telling me that here we get P10,500 for every square meter, Taguig makes seven times more, meaning P70,000 for every square meter for a low-cost housing for the police? It means these policemen are richer than those living at Forbes Park,” Osmeña said.
He said Garcia better provide them the copy now so that they can realistically compare.
“But instead they are challenging us to a debate or a forum, we already answered them and we are facing them in the congressional inquiry might as well invite Taguig City and also summon RII Builders, so that the people of Cebu will know,” Osmeña said.
He said Garcia did not opt to go to court but called for a congressional investigation where the accuser is the prosecutor and the judge.
FLI, Osmeña said, is helping Cebu City but instead they are being persecuted by the Province.
Garcia, when sought earlier for a copy of the Taguig and RII contract in a resolution authored by Cebu City councilor Hilario Davide III, said he will give the copy in a forum where both parties can freely discuss and compare the provisions.
The province through Garcia sought a congressional inquiry for allegedly questionable provisions between city and FLI.
The province once expressed interest to submit a competitive challenge against the FLI proposal but was rejected outright by the Joint Venture Selection Committee mainly for lack of jurisdiction.
Under the JVSC rules, only private entities are allowed to submit challenges.
Under the joint venture, FLI willl develop 50.6 hectares of SRP and build a minimum of 875,000 square meters of residential and office spaces in the Central Business District.
The project is seen to reach P25 billion in 20 years. – Ferliza C. Contratista/BRP (THE FREEMAN)