By Cha Monforte / Correspondent
THE Senate’s Committee on Public Services, which is temporarily chaired by Sen. Sergio Osmeña III, is set to conduct its hearing on the public-private partnership (PPP)-anchored P17-billion modernization project for the Sasa Port of the Philippine Port Authority (PPA) in Davao City.
The project is under the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC), which in April already started to bid out the PPP project through the PPA.
The project covers the modernization of the existing port and the establishment of dedicated container-handling facilities, with an initial design capacity of 1,900 container ground slots to a minimum of 2,700 container ground slots.
Former Davao City Councilor Peter Laviña said on Wednesday that the senator, has already asked his staff to collect relevant documents and information on the issue of alleged overpricing of the project, which only cost P4 billion in the original proposal some years back.
Laviña, a federalism lead campaigner of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, first blew the lid off on the overprice issue of the project when its cost shot up to P17 billion.
Laviña tagged the sudden spike of project cost as “outrageous” from a mere P4 billion when he was still a councilor in 2013. Last month he wrote a letter to Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales asking her to look into the price.
He speculated that the DOTC might be rushing to bid out the project through the PPP scheme in view of the political season, alleging that it might be a way to raise campaign funds for the administration’s candidates.
The overpricing issue has been sounded off already by various quarters in Davao City and Mindanao.
It was the International Finance Corp. of the World Bank which hired consultants from Germany to do a study and put the bid price for the port’s modernization program at P17 billion, Laviña said.
He added that he was informed that the Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) had hired a consultant on the project who made “recommendations contrary to the plans under PPP.”
Laviña called on the MinDA “to share these to the public.”
On May 27 Party-list Rep. Carlos Isagani Zarate of Bayan Muna delivered a privilege speech at the Lower House, while Party-list Rep. Jesulito Manalo of Angkla has referred the issue to the House Committee on Transportation.
Laviña said that, besides the two other officials and entities which expressed opposition or concern to the questioned project, the Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry, some members of the City Council and Surigao del Sur Chamber of Commerce President Annie Ty, who as the Mindanao director of the Philippine Chamber of Commerce Inc. (PCCI), have already elevated the matter to the PCCI National Board.
Others which will still take up the issue on board meeting are the PhilExport XI and the Philippine Chamber of Arrastre and Stevedoring Operators.
The PPP project also involves the construction of a new apron, development of a linear quay, expansion of backup area, provision of container yards and warehouses, as well as the installation of appropriate container-handling equipment.
Bidders had to bid to finance, design, redevelop, operate and maintain the Davao Sasa Port modernization project.
The winning bidder would operate and maintain the Davao Sasa Port for a period of 30 years.
But Laviña countered: “All of us are affected by this overpriced project…. Shippers of goods and consumers will be most affected with the expected high cost of port fees and charges.”
“We are not against the modernization of Sasa Port, but this PPP stinks! Ultimately, the burden will be passed on us the taxpayers, port users and consumers. We have to stand up and unite to stop this anomaly!” he added.