MEMBERS of the Cebu City Council have questioned an official of the Department of Engineering and Public Works (DEPW) on why it continued to allow a private contractor to proceed with the Quiot-Toong Road project in Sitio Mahayahay in Barangay Quiot, Cebu City.The project has reportedly been continued by contractor Docast Construction even though it has been issued with a cease-and-desist order by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR 7).During their regular session on Wednesday, March 23, members of the City Council grilled Engineer Ruel Tahom, DEPW project manager, over his failure to order the contractor from stopping the project even though there were already complaints against it from concerned residents regarding its earthmoving activities.Minority Floor Leader and City Councilor Nestor Archival, who was the one who sought for an initial query on the matter, said he had received reports from Pardo Barangay Captain Archie Araw-Araw about the contractor’s continued quarry works in the area.In response, Tahom told city councilors that the project has been suspended in the design and build stage due to lack of work permits. The road project’s design and other clearances have not been completed yet, he added.However, Tahom said the contractor has been conducting slope protection and benching (slope stabilization structure) activities as the area has become prone to landslides due to previous quarrying activities.Tahom also assured that while the contractor has been conducting earthmoving activities as part of its benching activities, no quarry materials were taken out from the area as the contract didn’t have any permit to transport these.But Tahom’s assurance didn’t sit well with some city councilors.Archival said Docast has sued Araw-Araw and his personnel for apprehending some of their trucks which were filled with hauled materials from the project site.“They even claimed that they lost an income of P120,000 just because they were being apprehended. So it’s very clear that they are still hauling in the area,” Archival said.Vice Mayor Donaldo Hontiveros also agreed with Archival, adding that he had also received complaints from officials in Barangay Quiot that they also saw the contractor conducting quarrying activities.“We have also seen the videos from Councilor Dave Tumulak and complaints from Barangay Quiot chief Francis Espares that they also encountered similar activities from their side of the Quiot-Toong road. They are even trying to coordinate with us on how we can talk to the contractors concerning this matter,” he said.For his part, Association of Barangay Councils president and ex-officio member Franklyn Ong told Tahom that DEPW should diligently monitor the contractor’s work in the area to determine if they are compliant with environmental standards.City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera also agreed with Ong, even questioning Tahom why they were not monitoring the contractor’s activities.“We can not put the blame on Docast. Because if you have monitored the project diligently, it would not have seen that much damage. Too much damage has been done,” she said.Pesquera also criticized DEPW’s design and build scheme with Docast, adding that they didn’t even disclosed who will benefit from the hauling materials being quarried there.Tahom, in response, said they earlier inspected the area and found that the hauled materials were just left in the area.But he said he wants to coordinate with the Cebu City Environment and Natural Resources Office to monitor Docast’s activities.Landowners affected by the project also attended the session to raise their concerns.Arlene Labaya, a resident of Sitio Mahayahay, said they were never informed about the project and its effects on their properties.Labaya urged the city to compel the contractor to pay them for the properties that were damaged by Docast’s reported quarrying activities.Esterlita Cabahug, a landowner in Sitio Mahayahay, Barangay Pardo, said she had initially agreed with the project but she eventually protested on the project after seeing the contractors doing quarry in the area, which she said has posed a risk to her and other residents there.Pesquera said Docast should be the one paying the affected landowners because their properties that had been damaged were not the government’s accountability anymore.In a separate interview, lawyer Manuel Soza, who represents the contractor, said they were initially ordered by the DEPW to resume works at the Toong-Quiot Road project on October last year.But Sonza lamented that they were forced to send a letter of request to the DEPW asking the latter to suspend the construction works for the project due to non-payment by Cebu City Government.Soza, however, said Docast is committed to fulfill its contractual obligations and has continuously abide by and comply with all the orders and instructions of the DEPW. (GDC, JKV)