Chavit dares critics to have unfinished convention center in Vigan probed

NARVACAN, Ilocos Sur – Former governor Luis "Chavit" Singson, now the national president of Philippine Councilors' League, challenged Tuesday his critics to have the unfinished Farmers' Convention Center in Vigan and other ‘'ghost” projects investigated.

Chavit issued the challenge after his political foes zeroed in on the R500 million center that was started during the time when Singson was governor.

Singson said the issue being floated by his political foes has no merit and that "they do not know what they are saying, because there was no more fund coming for the project, so how could we continue it."

“I challenged former Mayor Edgar Zaragoza and his allies of Narvacan town to come up with a resolution from the provincial board and Narvacan council to have the unfinished Convention center and all ghost projects in Narvacan town investigated by signing both of us, but he (Zaragoza) refused. Madi met ni Zaragoza nga imbestigaran dagitoy ghosts projects (Zaragoza refuses to have all the ghost projects investigated)," he said.

Zaragoza and Singson are vying for the mayorship in this town that has been politically controlled by the Zaragoza family for several years.

Zaragoza's eldest son Zuriel is the incumbent town mayor here but filed his candidacy for governor, challenging Chavit's son Ryan, the incumbent governor.

Ryan, observers claim, is banking on the popularity of his father since he still lacks exposure and public relations.

Singson reacted after a group of National Federation of tobacco farmers headed by chairman Bernard Vicente threatened to sue Chavit and Governor Singson over the unfinished center (FCC).

"Yes, it was not finished actually. But there was no more fund coming, how could we finish the project and where will we get the additional fund," Singson said.

Governor Singson refused to comment but told this writer the issue had been answered by his father.

Chavit said Zaragoza floated the issue to win the sympathy of voters.

"Zaragoza is just desperate since he knows that I can defeat him,” Chavit said.