Tuesday, August 12, 2014

Who is the real enemy?

Atty. Arnel Paciano D. Casanova, President and CEO of the Bases Conversion & Development Authority (BCDA) writes an open letter to Baguio City Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan and the City Government of Baguio.

It was posted at the website of BCDA. Casanova claims BCDA is a friend not an enemy, he also adds that it is also an ally.

Nicasio Alimping, JR., representative, Lone District of Baguio, and Mauicio D. Domogan, mayor of  Baguio City writes a response to this open letter.

Casanova claims BCDA is a friend, Baguio welcomes the gesture not only as a staunch advocate of transparency but more importantly for the public and beloved constituents to be provided the facts to aid them understand the issues.

Despite the controversies whirling, Baguio government never perceives BCDA as an enemy. It would always consider BCDA as a partner in realizing the development of Camp John Hay. 

But the way BCDA treats the city does not represent and speak well of the real definition of the word “friend”.

It was true that Baguio City has received more than P256 million from BCDA as its share from the lease rentals of Camp John Hay pursuant to Condition 10 of the 19 Conditions as embodied in Resolution 362, s. 1994.

Most of these amounts, if not all, were received by the City of Baguio from BCDA when it was managed by its previous officials and not its present officials headed by Atty. Arnel  Casanova. 

Baguio government says BCDA did not remit the entire share of the city from what BCDA collected from the lease rentals of Camp John Hay. 

Nicasio Alimping, Jr. representative, Lone District of Baguio, and MAURICIO G. DOMOGAN, mayor, Baguio City is aware of the dispute between the BCDA and Camp John Hay Development Corporation.

It was strongly suggested to BCDA through Casanova and Camp John Hay Management Corporation President Jamie Agbayani and JHMC Board of Directors Chair Sylvestre Afable for the BCDA, CJHDevCo, and the city to sit down in the negotiating table and audit/review the provisions of the agreement between BCDA and CJHDevCo to find out what provisions are not implemented, who among the parties did not implement the same, and quantify the money value of the non-implemented provisions, if any, so that at the end of the day, the people involved will know the obligations of each parties.
CJHDevCo suggests that both parties are willing to discuss a possible settlement. 

But the suggestion was denied by BCDA and JHMC and that issue went into an arbitration case with the Philippine Dispute Resolution Center, Inc.


What do you think is the agenda behind this?

6 comments:

  1. Agenda? Sorry if I am biased but i really think its just BCDA trying to gain as much public support as they can. Why? I dont know.. maybe trying to gain investors trust. But i think what they are doing is low. :/ "Lying through your teeth"

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  2. This would have been easy to settle had they decided to just talk this out. Why did they have to do this publicly? What are their motives? Is it really just about the money?

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  3. BCDA won't settle the case behind closed door. Settling on the table's not possible for Arnel Casanova because he wanted other entity to manage the Camp John Hay. Thus, believing that his open letter could erase the past between them, making him a positive image in Baguio residents and government officials.

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  4. Haste makes waste. Now the dispute must be settled in court.

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  5. The main agenda of the open letter is to get the sympathy of Baguio City. But it backfired because Mayor Domogan gave their side of the story based on hard facts.

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  6. It. seems .the. issue. is. getting. hotter. and .hotter.. The. dubiety. of. Mr.. Casanova's. personality. becomes. serious. of. his. open. letter.. Why. should. he. make. public? .Is .it. to. justify .his. hidden. agenda?. Or. to. mislead .the. people. that. he. is. in .the .right. track?

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