Rama to question exit of four CIPC officials

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he will ask Geronimo Sta. Ana to explain why he resigned as chairman of the Cebu Investment Promotions Center (CIPC).

Due to the resignation of four members of the CIPC board of trustees led by Sta. Ana, Rama said he no longer intends to release the city’s 2013 assistance of P5.4 million to CIPC.

“CIPC is no longer the marketing arm of the South Road Properties (SRP).  They used to be when I became mayor in 2010.  Now, we have the SRP office under Bo Varquez to take care of SRP affairs,” he said.

He said the city’s SRP management office worked to bring him to Japan last month to visit a retirement facility by investors who wanted to put up a similar facility.

Rama said he didn’t receive any help from CIPC when he met with André Tan, founder of Megaworld Corp., to discuss his company’s interest in the SRP last Wednesday.

Councilor Hans Abella mentioned the resignations of the four CIPC members in a privilege speech during the council session last Wednesday.

Councilors under the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK) agreed to require CIPC to furnish them a written report on their resignation and how they spent the city’s annual assistance.

CIPC member Joel Marie Yu admitted in a TV interview that “politics” is affecting their operations.

He said the resignation stemmed from the reluctance of the members to be caught in a “crossfire” between Rama and the BO-PK. Yu said the pressure mounted after the council passed an ordinance that authorized the CIPC to market the SRP.

Rama said the ordinance doesn’t bar him or the SRP management office from speaking with interested buyers.