Ratification of contracts entered by Gwen recalled

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu Provincial Board has withdrawn its ratification of the two contracts entered into by suspended Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

PB Member Arleigh Jay Sitoy moved to withdraw the two resolutions he earlier sponsored ratifying the contracts entered into by Garcia with ConEquip Philippines and DK Jocson Construction for the purchase of the 26 Sinotruk tourist buses amounting to P67.5 million and the P1.5 million construction of the new building of the National Bureau of Investigation, respectively.

The move also resulted in the withdrawal of 16 other similar resolutions sponsored by Board Members Jose Ribomapil Holganza Jr. and Thadeo Ouano.

Holganza said he proposed the ratification of 15 more contracts entered into by Garcia while the other one was sponsored by Ouano.

Holganza said that the office of acting Governor Agnes Magpale has modified some existing policies with regards to contracts entered into by the previous administration prompting Sitoy to withdraw to avoid precedence.

Sitoy contended that Garcia did not secure the requisite authority from the board when she entered into these contracts. He claims that these contracts were ultra vires or not valid for lack of the required authority from the board.

The ratification by the board would have cured the defect.

Holganza was supposed to sponsor the ratification of contracts amounting to P46.3 million of projects with Maningo Enterprises and P31.4 with Rovilla Construction.

Engr. Romeo Villaceran of  Rovilla Construction told The FREEMAN that Capitol remains to have P2 million payable to him.

Ouano’s proposed resolution on the other hand would have ratified the contract of services entered into by Garcia and Polygon General Engineering Construction, Consultancy Inc. for the consultancy and processing of environmental compliance certificate for the provincial hospitals in Balamban and the cities of Danao and Carcar.  (FREEMAN)