(City cancels market contract)
By Nelson Bolos
Tarlac City – – Kailangan itaguyod ang laban kontra korapsyon para sa kapakanan ng bayan.
Thus, said Mayor Cristy Angeles after signing last Wednesday a new lease contract with Puregold Supermarket which occupies more than half of the Tarlac City Downtown Market (TCDM) at P810,000 per month for 25 years.
This came after the Sangguniang Panglunsod (SP) of this city, “thru the strong request of Angeles”, cancelled the contract signed by ex-mayor Gelacio “Ace” Manalang with Ellen Te Laddaran which leased more than half of TCDM for a measly P70,000 per month for 30 years.
In turn, Laddaran, thru a Lease of Contract, leased a portion of the said market space to Puregold at P700,000 per month which gives her an earning of P630,000 net every month.
Backed with a Resolution from the SP, Angeles also ordered the cancelation of the Laddaran-Puregold lease contract.
This is a historical gain for the city. We did not only triumph against this contract of the past administration. The city will also earn more than P327 Million.
The new lease contract between the city government and Puregold signed by Angeles includes an escalation cost (additional rent) of 5% every 2 Years.
Under the old Contract of P70,000 per month, the city will only earn P35 Million within 30 years.
It may be recalled that upon assuming the office of the mayor in 2016, Angeles made known of several multi-million contracts entered by her predecessor with private individuals and businesses which are very disadvantageous to the city.
Among which is the is the 50-year lease contract of Uniwide Sales Corp. on the sprawling more than 7 hectares adjacent to the Uptown market.
The former Mayor Manalang leased the so-called Uniwide area at P500,000 per year or P25 Million in 50 years. (The rent is actually less than 59 centavos per square meter per month.)
The Uniwide lease contract was also recently “declared rescinded” by a court in Pasay City based on the 2014 petition filed by Angeles and ordered the “return of possession and control over the whole property” to this city.
Another is the leasing by the former Mayor of the Tarlac City Victory Uptown Market (TCVUM) to the Paliparan Central Market Corporation (PCMC) at P3 Million year on the first year.
But before the former Mayor leased the more than 4 hectares TCVUM, the former mayor renovated the market thru a loan of more than P450 million from the Land Bank of the Philippines.
However, because of reported “exorbitant market stall fees and rents being charged by the PCMC to vendors”, Angeles filed a petition against the corporation.
Subsequently, the court issued an Injunction against PCMC and ordered it to strictly comply with this city’s Market Code, specially the provision on stall rents and fees and prohibition on ambulant vendors to occupy market roads and pedestrian lanes.
“Ang bagong kontrata ng lungsod sa Puregold ay tagumpay laban sa korapsyon. Imbes na iilan lamang ang nakikinabang sa mga ari-arian ng lungsod, ngayon lahat ng mamamayan makikinabang sa renta ng Puregold”, added Angeles.
The feisty first-ever-lady mayor of this city also revealed that her administration is now coming up with pro-poor programs which are to be financed from Puregold’s P810,000 per month lease, including relocation site and housing for the landless informal settlers.
According to Atty. Joselito Castro, this city’s chief legal officer, from P810,000 a month, the rent of Puregold will be P1.455 Million per month on the 25th year and the city will earn more than P327 Million from the new 25-year lease contract as “against the Manalang-Ladarran contract of only P35 Million in 30 years”.
Castro said, “this a classic case of corruption and insatiable greed. A perfect example on how public officials can connive with private interests in order to unjustly enrich themselves at the expense of their constituents. The Laddaran contracts (with Manalang) started as a lease for half of the downtown public market for P400,000 per month in 2011. But months later, the rent was reduced to P100,000. Apparently, those who signed the P400,000 (per month) lease contract wanted to earn more, so, it was transformed into a Develop-Operate-Transfer-Agreement (DOTA) to justify the drastic reduction of rental from P400K to P100k per month. Not contented with the reduction, pagbaba ng (signed) contract sa city treasurer’s office (from the office of ex-mayor Manalang), naging 70 thousand per month na lang. The city legal office discovered 2 versions of (signed) DOTA -isang 100K at isang 70k (Agreements)”.
The accountant-lawyer Castro also said, “months after Laddaran bagged half of the downtown public market for 70k per month, she subleased it to Puregold for 700K per month. Or a whooping 630 thousand monthly profit. Laway lang ang puhunan. The City then helped the downtown market vendors to file a criminal case against Ace Manalang and Laddaran. The 2 were indicted and warrants of arrest were issued against them. Both posted bail. They are now being tried in Sandiganbayan. At the same time the city filed a civil case against Ace Manalang, Laddaran and Puregold (before Tarlac Regional Trial Court). We asked for the nullity of the DOTA. We are already on our fourth witness. Suddenly, with sheer determination, patience and God’s grace, the city legal office was able to convince Laddaran to give up the Puregold contract in our favor. Thus, last Wednesday, we were able to recover control of the (market) area under Puregold contract and, hence, starting November 19, 2019, Puregold will pay the city the monthly rental of 810 thousand pesos. Instead of 70 thousand pesos”.
In a related development, upon learning of this moves of Mayor Angeles, a Consultant of this paper Mr,. Freddie Farres, commented that “how come there seems to be no mention by the City Legal officer and the Mayor regarding the participation of the former City Council Members during the time of the former Mayor Manalang, ang ibig bang sabihin ni Mayor Angeles at ni City Legal officer ay lahat ng mga ito ay isinagawa ni Mayor Manalang all on his own without the approval or at the very least knowledge of the former city councilors, ibig ba nilang sabihin na walang ka-alam alam idto ang mga miyembro ng konseho?” Farres said.