Mayor Isko Moreno gave an ultimatum to two corporations that signed a joint venture agreement with the past administration of Manila to pay their obligations on Tuesday during a live video.
According to Moreno, Marketlife Management and Leasing Corporation and XRC Mall Developers Inc. privatized five public markets in Manila during the administration of former Mayor Joseph Ejercito Estrada in exchange of rehabilitating it for free.
Moreno bared that XRC Mall Developers Inc. that currently owns Sta. Ana Market, San Andres Market, Sampaloc Market, and Trabajo Market didn’t pay their obligations from April 2017 to July 2019 same with Marketlife Management and Leasing Corporation that currently handling Quinta Market.
Market life Management and Leasing Corporation need to pay P11,160,750 while XRC Mall Developers Inc. required to give the City Government of Manila P14,388,000.
“Kaya po ito nakakabagabag, kahit na anong sakit ng ipin ko hindi ko mapapaligtas itong sitwasyon na ito, buti nalang talaga na kahit ganito ang sitwasyon ko ay pumasok po ako para malamang ang tunay na sitwasyon,” said Moreno.
Moreno said that the joint venture between the said private companies promised to give revenue share to the City Government of Manila worth P1-M to P6-M annual guaranteed share per privatized market.
“Para namang hindi makatwiran ito, bakit hindi nila pinagkakaloob sa ating mga taga Maynila yung marapat na share ng city government para sa kanyang mamamayan ng lungsod,” said Moreno.
“Ang nakakalungkot, yung maliliit na manininda sa palengke na so-called po-proteksyunan ng nakaraang administrasyon ay dapat magbayad, pero yung malalaking korporasyon ay hindi nagbabayad? Hindi ho maganda yan” he added.
He gave a condition to the two companies to pay their dues within 72 hours or else the city government would take over the public market they privatized.
“Binibigyan ko po kayo ng 72 hours to pay your obligations to the people of Manila and the City Government of Manila, after that pag wala akong nakitang cheke sa lamesang ito na inyong obligasyon base sa kontratang pinirmahan niyo noong nakaraan administrasyon na patuloy naman naming kinikilala,” Moreno said.
“You’re in bad faith, how come you exist for two years not paying obligations? Nobody attended to this, this is unfair for the vendors inside our public market, sila nagbabayad tapos yung mga malalaki hindi nagbabayad?” he added.
“In the absence of payment, we will force to implement the provision of the contract to invalidate or at least strike down your contract and protect the interest of the public, after that no extension, you have to pay,”
Moreno vowed that he would not let private companies not to pay their obligations to the City Government of Manila.
He said that they’re going to investigate other companies who made a contract with Manila City.
“Kung mayroon pa kaming madidiskubre na kabulastugan or hindi makatwiran na ginagawa ninyo dala ng nasanay kayo sa mga dati na hindi inuunawa o binibigyan ng proteksyon ang mamamayan ng lungsod Maynila, tapos na po ang panahon niyo, tapos na po ang maliligayang araw ninyo,” Moreno said.