SANS ORDINANCE, DOCUMENTS

AFTER stopping the construction of an P84 million tourism-commercial building at the former Magsaysay Park by MetroState Realty Corporation, Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. has thrown a monkey wrench at two other controversial contracts entered into by his predecessor.

Fernandez has ordered to stop the collection of parking fees at the third and fourth floors of Malimgas Market.

At the same time, he categorically denied having authorized the painting of conspicuous pay parking signs in the city’s side streets, ostensibly in preparation for the enforcement of a pay parking ordinance that will be handled by a supposed contractor of the past city administration under former mayor Benjamin Lim.

The new city administration is still in the dark as to how many in parking fees have been collected and how much went to the city coffers.

The Malimgas Public Market was built under the Lim administration, funded by a more than P300 million loan from the Land Bank of the Philippines.

The collection of parking fees at the upper floors of Malimgas had reportedly   been going on for years without an ordinance.

The pay parking areas at Malimgas Market were reportedly managed by one Charlie Go, the same person behind the company “I Clean” which was granted the contract in the early days of the Lim administration to collect garbage from the city’s southern barangays.

Fernandez, in a talk to newsmen at Dagupena Restaurant on Thursday, said in the absence of an ordinance justifying the collection of parking fees at Malimgas Market, he had to stop the contractor from collecting fees further.

“We not only stopped the collection of parking fees but also closed the gate leading to the parking areas,” said an incensed Fernandez.

The Malimgas Market parking issue is almost akin to the deployment of the JLD Motor Service in the streets of Dagupan for many years to tow vehicles parking in prohibited areas and collecting towing and impounding fees of P1, 200 each from vehicle owners without any authorization from the city council.

JLD reportedly entered into a contract with then Mayor Benjamin Lim, without any approval from the Sangguniang Panlungsod.

Fernandez pointed out that the pay parking ordinance in the city is still not in effect even as he deplored the posting of pay parking signs in side streets by still unknown persons. He suspects that the rumored favored contractor of the past administration was behind the unauthorized activity.

“I know that there is an ordinance on pay parking but all of these will have to be coordinated with the city executive for implementation and enforcement,” Fernandez said.

He warned residents against paying parking fees and to immediately report persons who are collecting parking fees to the police.

Fernandez said he will not allow the contractor to continue unless the latter can show any document authorizing him to perform collection activities.

He said the supposed contractor has not had even the courtesy of seeing him in his office or at least introduce himself at the city mayor’s office.

 The mayor had said earlier that any collection of parking fees will only be done by the city government and not by a private contractor. —LM

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