‘Why no council approval for SRP road project?’

A P50.5 million road clearing and embankment project leading to the South Road Properties (SRP) was awarded to a bidder without approval of the Cebu City Council.

The discovery was cited yesterday in a privilege speech of Councilor Margot Osmeña.

She asked why.

The road project which covers a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) route at the SRP will be charged to the P100 million lump sum in the 2013 budget outlay for SRP Management.

To clarify the matter the council agreed yesterday to invite City Engr. Carmelita Kenneth Enriquez, City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete, SRP management office chief Roberto Varquez and Bids and Awards (BAC) head Rafael Yap to explain in the next session.

In an earlier interview, Enriquez said the clearing and embankment project would be done on a road at the back of SM mall.

The road proposed for use as the SRP’s BRT route is now filled with overgrown grass.

While the BRT remains pending, Enriquez said the access road can be used as a diversion road for vehicles using the SRP

Osmeña said the City Engineering Office prepared the program of works and estimates (POWE) last Feb. 26 and its budget contract was approved the next day.

Osmeña cited the need for City Council approval based on a Supreme Court decision in the case of then Provincial Board (PB) Member Gabriel Luis Quisumbing vs Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

“Should the appropriation describe the projects in generic terms there is an obvious need for a covering contract for every specific project that in turn requires approval by the council,” she said quoting the decision.

Councilor Jose Daluz III, an ally of Mayor Michael Rama, downplayed the matter.

He said former mayor and now Rep. Tomas Osmeña was given free rein to use the P100 million SRP budget as he deemed fit when he was Cebu City mayor.

He said projects to be funded by the SRP Management Fund are only referred to the council if the mayor enters into a contract with the winning contractor. What has been issued so far to the winning contractor the notice of award, Daluz said.

Daluz said that POWEs were just for “political mileage” for politicians to show the requesting party that their project request was already worked on.

“I’m taking exception to that,” Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young said in reaction to Daluz statement.

The council dominated by the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) bloc is at odds with Mayor Rama in this year’s midterm elections. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac