THE clock is ticking but not a single councilor dares to affix his signature on city council’s resolution.

Vice Mayor Alvin Fernandez said the councilors who voted for the controversial resolution giving authority to Mayor Benjamin Lim to enter into a contract with the alleged winning bidder that will construct the Magsaysay Park Tourism cum Commercial Complex, continue to refuse to sign the transcript of the minutes of the special session on December 19, 2006.

Unless the resolution is signed and passed, the contract signing between Lim and Metro State Realty Corporation is on hold while the election ban for local projects is about to start.

The signatures of Councilors Nicanor Aquino, Vladimir Mata, Luis Samson Jr., Librada Reyna, Eric Muñoz, Danilo Torio, Charise Perez and Teofilo Guadiz III are necessary because based on the condition agreed upon when Resolution No. 56112-2006 was being passed, the transcript of the minutes as well as the committee report shall be made as attachments to the resolution.

Three councilors voted against the resolution, namely Farah Decano, Jose Netu Tamayo and Michael Fernandez. Councilor Alex de Venecia was absent due to the late of the notice for the special meeting by the secretariat but later manifested his objection to the resolution

Of the eight councilors who voted for the resolution, seven said they are not affixing their signatures to the transcript of the minutes until Councilor Guadiz signs his committee report that purportedly justified the bidding conducted for the project by a Special Bids and Awards Committee, supposedly won by MetroState.

The project has been put in question by Vice Mayor Fernandez, citing that the bidding procedures were rigged. There have since been threats from taxpayers to file a suit once the project is signed.

Guadiz was supposed to give his pending signature to the committee report on Monday but disappeared from the session hall when the issue was brought up for floor deliberation.

Fernandez learned that Guadiz left the session as he was not feeling well because of a rising blood pressure.

Calendared in the city council’s agenda under the title “informative” was a letter dated February 27, 2007 of Mayor Benjamin Lim to City Council Secretary Jorge Estrada requesting that Resolution No. 5611-2006 be forwarded to his office.

Lim cited Rule III, Section 11 (e) of  Resolution No. 5138-2005 (Sangguniang Panlungsod House Rules) concerning the lapse of the 10-day prescription period for the transmittal of resolutions or ordinances from the legislative to the executive branch.

However, Fernandez stood his ground refusing to sign the resolution unless the terms stated in the resolution are fully complied with, specifically that the committee report be attached to the resolution and minutes of the meeting.—LM

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