Solon's North Harbor claim debunked

Source: Peoples Tonight Journal
Date: TUESDAY, MARCH 3, 2009
Author: Jerico Javier

THE Philippine Association of Migrant Workers and Advocates (PAMWA) debunked the recent claim of An Waray Party List Representative Flo-rencio Noel that he sees nothing wrong with the contract for the 25-year Manila North Harbor Mo­dernization Project.The migrant workers group also criticized Con­gressman Noel's claim that the delay in the moderniza­tion of the North Harbor would imperil people's lives including domestic passen­gers, dock workers, vendors, and other port users since the port was already in decrepit state, having been" built after the first World War., "That's the problem when
you opeft your mouth first than think over an issue. You don't get to appreciate the facts. And we re just sorry that Congressman Noel seems to be shooting blanks these days because he is merely shooting from his mouth," said Engr. Nelson P. Ramirez, president of the United Filipino Seafarers, and member of PAMWA.
"We would like to make it clear to Congressman Noel that PAMWA or other groups for that matter are not op­posing the modernization of the Manila North Harbor. In fact, we're all for it. What we are up against is the process by which the Manila North Harbor Modernization Project was bidded out and practically served on a silver platter on the winning joint
venture," Ramirez said.;
While the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) has not yet officially announced it, the joint venture com­posed of Metro Pacific In­vestment Corp. and Harbor Center Port Terminals, Inc. (HCPTI) seem to have a lock on the project by virtue of a compromise agreement de­spite the failure of bidding declared by PPA last year.
"Congressman Noel said that he has read the project contract and he finds noth­ing wrong with it. If he re­ally knows what he's say­ing, then he should have been resourceful enough to look into the project's more than inch thick terms or reference where the 'brewing' all started," Ramirez said

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