Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Ocon says Emano, council keeping Oro in the dark on P300-m deal with UKC

OPPOSITION Councilor Zaldy Ocon sharply criticized the PaDayon Pilipino-dominated city council and Mayor Vicente Emano for allegedly keeping Cagaya-nons in the dark in regard to its new multimillion-peso deals with the construction firm UKC Builders.

"The contracts have not been shown to the public until now," said Ocon.

The undertaking, a bridge and road project, according to Ocon, would cost the city some P332 million. The bridge would be built near the St. Augustine Cathedral and would link Carmen and Nazareth.

Ocon also questioned two ordinances that authorized revisions in an agreement between city hall and UKC Builders Inc. He said the contract was revised despite his and Councilor Alvin Calingin’s objections.

Ocon said councilors closely identified with Emano approved the ordinances despite the mayor’s failure to show copies of the contracts for the ‘‘5th Bridge’’ and ‘‘access road’’ project.

One of the ordinances (Ordinance Number 225-2006) set aside P8,033,093.39 to pay residents whose properties would be affected by the road project. The road project implementation received a city council green light through Ordinance no. 10150-2006.

He said city hall has already set aside P141 million for the road project.
‘‘How come there is an additional P8,033,093.39?" asked Ocon.

Ocon said the agreement with UKC is "defective" and ‘‘is full of legal infirmities."
Ocon questioned the road project, saying spending over P140 million was too much.

‘‘How many kilometers? Where would it start and where would it end?" he asked.

He accused PaDayon Pilipino councilors of approving the ordinances on orders of Emano.

"I wonder why they’re hiding the contract and why they can’t give us the specifications," Ocon said. "They approved the contracts without any plan, without public bidding and until, they haven’t shown the original contracts that were supposedly revised."

"that can be read at Gold Star Daily"

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