Celso adheres to rule of law—aide
City Hall Executive Assistant on Muslim Affairs Amilpasa “Caloy” Bandaying yesterday emphasized that the integrated bus terminal project (IBT) is now a subject of a case in court, thus, cannot be discussed, much more implemented in the face of a fire incident that gutted down the privately owned bus terminal in Guiwan.
Bandaying issued the statement following insinuations by certain quarters that the conflagration Monday night at the Guiwan bus terminal was a wakeup call on Mayor Lobregat to immediately implement the IBT project.
“The IBT proposal is now in court, so the mayor cannot do otherwise but to observe strictly the rule of law,” Bandaying said in defense of the chief executive. “He is one mayor in the country who adheres to the rule of law, lest he be declared subjudice,” he said.
The city government, he said, is bent on pursuing the integrated bus terminal project as it is one of the priorities of the present administration.
The cases filed before different courts concerning the bidding and the awarding of the projects are the issues that impede the project implementation, according to Bandaying.
He opined that Mayor Lobregat cannot just order the implementation of the IBT project unless all the legal impediments shall have been cleared.
Mayor Lobregat, being a goal-oriented and forward looking chief executive, undertakes projects and programs in accordance with the law, Bandaying added. (Vic Larato)