Garcia threatens to sue Casas

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu CFI Community Cooperative is contemplating a legal action against the chairman of the Joint Venture Selection Committee (JVSC) of the Cebu City government for his alleged refusal to give a copy of the unsolicited proposal of a private construction company for the proposed multi-billion peso redevelopment project of Carbon Public Market.

CFI President Winston Garcia said JVSC chairman and city administrator Floro Casas failed to give them a copy of the proposal of Megawide Corporation despite having paid the P50,000 required of them.

“The 50,000 is for the paper that they promised in the publication that it is a non- reimbursable, non-refundable amount that we have to pay in order to be furnished a copy of the proposal of Megawide,” Garcia said.

Garcia said the city accepted the payment but refused to provide them the copy of the said proposal. The CFI Cooperative in partnership with Cavite Ideal International Construction and Development Corporation (CAVDEAL) also submitted a letter of intent to submit a comparable proposal.

“I asked Atty. Casas, how can you expect us to present a comparable proposal if we don’t even know what is the proposal itself,” Garcia said.

The CFI was given 10 days to submit their comparable proposal for the said project.

“In the coming days we will be referring to our lawyer whether to file estafa case against Atty. Casas for failing to deliver the details of the proposal of Megawide after accepting P50,000 from us, and that is duly acknowledged,” Garcia added.

The CFI has asked the Cebu City government to give them a “fair chance” in developing the Carbon Public Market.

CFI’s proposal to modernize Carbon market is worth P3.5 billion which will be completed within two years. The project will be implemented in five phases--- market and cold/dry storage, terminal and temporary relocation facility in Freedom Park for phase 1; accommodation block and park and cooked food area for phase 2; improving the Freedom park for phase 3; socialized housing and seaside park for phase 4; and hotel and event pavilion for phase 5.

Architect Rebecca Plaza of CAVDEAL presented the proposed Carbon modernization program before the media during a press conference yesterday.

Garcia said the project they are proposing will be funded by the Land Bank of the Philippines. He said the LBP has committed to provide financial support to CFI for the funding requirement.

Mayor Edgardo Labella said he will furnish a copy of the proposal to anyone interested to undertake the project. He said the unsolicited proposal is considered public document.

“I think the process is that the joint venture committee will submit to me the unsolicited proposal but until now I have not received a copy yet. It was still in the joint venture committee. Once I shall have received a copy, whoever would want to have a copy, I would furnish everyone who wants to have because these are supposed to be public documents,” Labella said.

“I assure CFI that once I shall have received a copy (of the joint venture committee report), let them come and I will give them a copy,” Labella added. Ruth R. Malinao /FPL (FREEMAN)