Labangon Project: No payment to talk about – Mayor Rama

CEBU, Philippines - There is no payment to talk about especially when it is the safety of motorists that is concerned.

This was the contention of Mayor Michael Rama after he ordered the city’s Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement team to clear the initial structure for the lighting project in Barangay Labangon.

 â€œNganong mag-storya man ta og bayad? Kung naa’y maaksidente ug mamatay diha, mubayad ba siya?” Rama said, referring to Labangon Barangay Captain Victor Buendia.

Buendia is asking how the initial expenses for the project amounting to P300,000 can be compensated and who shall pay for the amount.

Buendia contended earlier that the city may have to cover the cost considering that Rama actually approved the project.

But Rama said he signed the document consenting the project’s undertaking since there was approval from one of his departments. Later, however, he ordered the initial structure removed after seeing for himself that the initial structure, a center island, is a “nuisance” and was not endorsed by the City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM).

The mayor said that while the project’s intention was good, the area where it is being implemented, the junction of Salvador and Katipunan streets, is not suitable for the project.

The 28-meter road separator or center island, where the street lights are supposed to stand, also poses danger to motorists, he added.

“Sorry to tell, dili mao ang ilang project as a solution to the problem there. Death is coming in a division wrongly done,” Rama said.

The mayor said he has instructed former councilor Edu Rama, his executive assistant for barangay affairs, to put up lights in the area. He will also get help of the Visayan Electric Company (VECO).

PROBE chief Raquel Arce said the demolition team cleared the area safely in less than an hour.

Arce showed a document dated March 7, 2014 with Fernando Cruz, district engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways-7, telling Buendia to remove the structure.

“The said structure posed danger to the travelling public and a clear violation of the policies stipulated in the Philippine Highway Act,” Cruz said.

The PROBE chief said they even sent a 10-day notice to Barangay Labangon before they conducted the clearing operation. The barangay reportedly did not reply.

The mayor further said that he has ordered the removal of other center island projects being constructed in the city for safety reasons. – (FREEMAN)