By Lailany P. Gomez | Dec. 06, 2013 at
12:01am [ manilastandardtoday.com ]
Land developer SM Land Inc. said
Thursday it is still keen on pursuing the P54.5-billion, 300-hectare
reclamation project off Manila Bay, despite the decision of the Pasay City
council to “withdraw” approval of the project contract.
“We stand firm with our commitment to
undertake and complete the 300-hectare reclamation project as stipulated in our
joint venture agreement with the Pasay City government notwithstanding the
reported recall made by the Pasay City Council of resolutions it earlier issued
supporting and approving SM Land’s proposal,” said SM Land senior vice
president Dave Rafael.
SM Land, however, hinted it may sue
the Pasay City government, citing the company had a legally perfected contract.
“We don’t want to delve on the motives
behind why the city council is now belatedly withdrawing its support, but
frankly, they were ill-advised. We have a perfected and legally binding
contract which was duly ratified by the City Council,” Rafael said.
“The council cannot just unilaterally
cancel this contract by issuing another resolution recalling its previous
resolutions without due process and in violation of the constitutional rights
of SMLI,” he said.
The Pasay City council on Wednesday
issued Resolution 3059 recalling the earlier decision awarding the
P54.5-billion Manila Bay reclamation project to SM Land.
Pasay City councilor Allan Panaligan,
chairman of the committee on land use, said the withdrawal was intended to
correct the defects raised by other stakeholders, including S&P
Construction Technology and Development Co. and Ayala Land Inc.
“We just want to make sure that there
will be no grounds for the council or the executives to be charged in court
because of the said flaws. It [recall] is a protection for the executive and
for the city council,” said Panaligan.
He said some of the flaws raised by
S&P and Ayala Land were the alleged irregularities in awarding the project
to SM Land without conducting an “open, public and competitive bidding.”
SM Land said there were legal remedies
available and it would not hesitate to pursue such recourse if the council
insisted on its latest course of action.
The company said it was not
considering such a remedy at the moment, as it wanted to put a premium on the
productive relationship with the Pasay City government and the council over the
last 17 years.
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