66 Ro-Ro ports too many

President Benigno Aquino III is considering cancelling the multi-million-peso contracts for 66 out of 72 roll-on-roll-off (Ro-Ro) port projects entered into by the Arroyo administration.

In a speech in Trinidad, Bohol, on Wednesday, Mr. Aquino said a review conducted by Transportation Secretary Manuel Roxas II showed that the country only needed six out of the 72 Ro-Ro port projects contracted by former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

“It appears that we only need six but 72 are now under contract,” he said.

Discontinuing the construction of the excess ports would save the government more than P15 billion, the President said.

He said the amount is already almost twice the P8.4 billion needed for the construction of a new international airport in Panglao island here, which is expected to boost Bohol’s tourism and economy.

Mr. Aquino said another point against pursuing the construction of the 66 Ro-Ro ports was their location in “a dangerous area where there are usually huge waves and would already be off-warranty once they are completed.”

“You didn’t place it in the right location so there’s no warranty. When you complete it, the warrant is immediately void. When it’s damaged, we’d have to build one again,” he said.

However, cancelling the 66 contracts will mean that court cases would be filed against the government overseas, Mr. Aquino said.

He said this was contained in the questioned contracts and indicated that they were quite disadvantageous to the country.

“[If] we will cancel these contracts, it is said that we will be taken to court by the contractors. When they file a case, it would be painful because my successor allowed that we will be taken to court overseas,” Mr. Aquino said.