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In the effort to clear matters and in order to be fair to Pagadian City Mayor Sammy S. Co, I endeavored to have a one-on-one interview with him at his office evening of Friday, February 29, 2008, immediately after the ecumenical prayer for peace and solidarity at Plaza Luz which was attended by government officials and employees and the local media.
He explained and clarified his side regarding allegations and ugly rumors that the newly renovated and improved agora has been the source of graft. Mayor Co stated that “if there is anybody who made money out of the spaces and stalls inside the agora, they are those to whom these spaces and stalls were given without any consideration, except that when the leasehold contract is executed individually between them and the city government, they will have to pay two (2) months deposit and one (1) month advance rental.” Read the author's column on the agora controvery.
The city mayor was very categorical in clarifying that, “when the city government proceeded with announcing, accepting and listing down names of those who signified their interest to occupy spaces and stalls, only very few responded. In fact, the few who were listed as would-be occupants did not come back for the award.” He said, fearful that the agora might be left vastly unoccupied for a long period, he decided to sound off friends and city and provincial government employees whether or not they are interested to operate as small entrepreneurs inside the agora and offered them stalls and spaces. Suddenly, the agora, at present, is fully occupied. Those who were displaced by the construction and renovation work will automatically be restored to their former stalls or spaces. The rest who are in place remain. Now, here comes the problem or controversy, he said. Those who were given stalls and spaces, especially in areas fronting the streets, sold or gave up their respective stalls or spaces to big business operators in the city who had been scouting for accommodations inside the agora, for monetary consideration ranging from P100,000.00 up to P500,000.00. This, the city mayor said, is already beyond his control, because he cannot anymore get back the spaces and stalls he had given.  Pagadian City Agora while still under construction However, he said, the city government still has a chance of rectifying this unexpected arrangement or collusion between certain individuals given spaces or stalls and big businessmen, when the leasehold contracts will be drawn up and signed by the parties concerned. This “unholy alliance” will be unearthed and corrected, Mayor Co assured. Mayor Co expressed regret that the city council did not come up with an ordinance setting the rules, regulations and guidelines for the apportionment, grant and award of the agora spaces and stalls. “Had the council came up with one, I could have been spared from a big headache,” he lamented with a sigh. The bottom line here is that, the business and responsibility of controlling the availability and occupancy of agora stalls and spaces rested solely on the shoulders of the city executive. Last update : 13-03-2008 22:44
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