CITY of San Fernando Administrator Atlee Viray said Monday, March 2, that the compromise agreement for the Paskuhan Village between the local government unit and Premiere Central Inc. (PCI) is already final and executory.
Viray's reaction came after Third District Representative Aurelio Gonzales Jr. filed before the Regional Trial Court Branch 42 an urgent motion with prayer for leave of court to intervene and reconsideration of the compromise agreement between the City Government and PCI on February 21.
Part of the agreement is PCI's donation of 5,000 square meters of the Paskuhan Village, plus a two-story building and amphitheater, to be built free of cost for the City.
But lawyers representing Gonzales were far from impressed. Lawyer Edward Magat, co-counsel for Gonzales, said that 5,000 square meters are only a very meager fraction of the 9.3-hectare property.
He added that Paskuhan is for the people of the city and represents a portion of the cultural identity of San Fernando.
But Viray said that "any pleading or motion that will be filed regarding the agreement will be outright rejected by the court."
"One can file as many pleadings as you like but since there is a compromise agreement forged by the parties involved, you will not be heard by the court itself. Tapos na, it's finished," Viray said.
Viray also stood firm on the City Government's belief that the settlement is a win for the city and its people.
"Masanting ne ing tuyu keng sula-sulapong pugu (A dried fish is better than a quail that is still flying). This is a win. From zero, we now have something," he said.
The Paskuhan Village, which once became the venue for the Giant Lantern Festival and a landmark for San Fernando, was sold to PCI by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone (Tieza) for P939,656,848 in 2017.
In 2017, the House Committee on Good Government and Public Accountability, chaired by Surigao del Sur Second District Representative Johnny Pimentel, led the inquiry on the sale after Gonzales filed House Resolution 654 that called for the investigation of the sale on whether proper procurement laws were followed, as well as ascertain the real ownership of the land of the said property. After a series of hearings, the committee declared the alleged public bidding was a farce.
The committee said Tieza disregarded the provision of Republic Act 9593 that gives the City of San Fernando the right of first refusal on the sale or lease of Paskuhan.
