ARMM sues private school building contractors for negligence

COTABATO CITY—The Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) government has started suing private school building contractors for negligence over years of delay in the completion of their assigned projects.

“School building projects do not take years to accomplish,” Amir Mawallil, ARMM communications chief, said on Thursday.

He told reporters that at least three private contractors had so far been charged and cases against 16 others were being prepared.

He said the contractors were obviously negligent as many of the projects started in 2011.

“Based on the contracts, the school buildings are just onestory buildings with just two to three classrooms. Surely it doesn’t take four years to finish one school building given this specification,” Mawallil said.

He cited the case of Unayan Builders and Construction Supply, which failed to finish six school buildings it undertook in Lanao del Sur province. “Of the six school buildings it committed to build in 2011, not one building was finished,” Mawallil said.

He said the ARMM government was not remiss in reminding the contractors to finish the projects in the provinces of Sulu, Maguindanao, Tawi-Tawi,

Basilan and Lanao del Sur but they had ignored it.

“We have previously met with these contractors and informed them in several meetings that their negligence was unacceptable,” Mawallil said.

“Their days are numbered,” ARMM Gov. Mujiv Hataman, said of the other contractors the regional government would be suing.

Hataman said the regional government had decided to sue after an investigation he had ordered found out that many school buildings had not been completed yet even if the construction started several years ago already.

“The ARMM regional govern- ment is committed in going after the negligent contractors responsible for these unfinished projects,” he said.

Mawallil said a review of other contracts entered into by previous administrations was also being conducted for possible anomaly.

“We are also currently reviewing past contracts to see if there are any more cases that require us to file cases based on specific performance (and) to compel contractors and make sure they fulfill their duties, as agreed upon with the regional government,” Mawallil added. Edwin Fernandez, with a report from Charlie Señase, Inquirer Mindanao