The court ruled the TRO to the market contractor

– Advertisement –

ILIGAN City ― The Court here decided on the Temporary Restraining Order filed by BM Marketing, former contractor of the “world-class” market located in barangay Palao.

City mayor Frederick Siao, yesterday told reporters that Judge Leonor Quinones of Branch 6, Regional Trial Court in Lanao Norte ruled that “this Court is not the proper venue” for the matter. It should be brought to the Construction Industry Arbitration Committee (CIAC) which has “exclusive jurisdiction” over disputes arising out of or related to contracts entered into by construction parties whether the disputes arise before or after the contract or after its abandonment or breach .

Remember, the construction of the said project had a groundbreaking in February 2020 that cost more than P500 million, and is scheduled to be completed in December 2021. in the administration of former mayor Celso G. Regencia

Under the Siao administration after the year 2022, another set of extensions were also requested by BM Marketing, 7th and 8th. The 7th extension was not specifically denied by the new leadership who considered it but it is said that the contractor interpreted it in the affirmative and then asked for an 8th extension which was denied by the Siao administration.

Then the Project Implementation Unit made documents pointing out several lapses in the contract and then Siao established a Contract Termination and Review Committee which gave a recommendation to terminate the contract between the city and BM Marketing. Among other things, there is an “additional extension of 318 days” which makes it 858 instead of only 548 days in all.

City legal officer, lawyer Roberto Padilla said that the city filed a petition to dismiss the contractor’s TRO petition but was “denied.” However, that judge of the Regional Trial Court of Lanao Norte who was later identified as Albert Quitos did not allow the dismissal but said that he would inhibit the case.

With the aforementioned progress in the petition filed by Judge Leonor Quinones, and which judgment was cited at the beginning, Siao said that the city is toying with the idea that the city itself can finish the project instead of going through that project again. process that adds that the object is “politicized.”