THE incoming administration of Dagupan City is poised to stop the construction of a tourism-commercial complex at the former Magsaysay Park if it cannot secure its building permit.

And even if it is able to secure its permit, the project will still likely go through rough sailing under the incoming administration of Mayor-elect Alipio Fernandez Jr. because of the reported irregularities that marked the bidding for the Build-Operate-Transfer project

This was indicated by outgoing Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez who will assume the post of city administrator, pending his appointment as tourism attaché to the People’s Republic of China, in a talk to The PUNCH before deadline 

It will be recalled Vice Mayor Fernandez, as presiding officer was at the forefront questioning the legality of the project since late last year to date.

Fernandez said “how can we let it pass when we believed that the bidding conducted for the project was illegal from the very start”.

He said, among others, that in the bidding conducted by the Special Bids and Awards Committee, it allowed a bidder to bid against his own brother which is a violation to the guidelines set by the SBAC itself.

On top of this, he reiterated that the P1 million per year rental to be paid by MetroState Realty Corporation, supposed winner of the bidding conducted, is grossly disadvantageous to the city government.

Insisting that the project has no legal leg to stand on, Fernandez said that as far as the city council of which he is the presiding officer is concerned, the resolution authorizing outgoing Mayor Benjamin Lim to sign a contract with the supposed winner of the bidding that was conducted was not yet final.

He said that although a resolution authorizing Mayor Lim to enter into contract with MetroState was passed in a special session held December 19, 2006, the conditions attached to it when it was passed have not been met.

One of the conditions is for the minutes of the special session be signed by the members present. The councilors present refused to sign the minutes unless the committee report which was the basis for their votes, is signed by the chair of the committee on laws, ordinances and judiciary.

Fernandez earlier pressed for the rebidding but the Lim Administration was adamant in rejecting the recommendation for a rebidding.

 He pointed out that the developer is clearly proceeding with the construction at its own risk notwithstanding its claim that a contract between the mayor and Metrostate has already been signed. To date, however, Fernandez denies having seen a copy of the contract.

At the same time, Fernandez said the incoming administration will likely ask certain officials to account for the missing steel bars and trusses retrieved from the wreckage of the burnt Bugnay Market.  LM

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