BAGUIO CITY — Mayor Benjamin Magalong on Saturday stood firm that the awarding of the renovation and parking project at the Baguio Athletic Bowl to a Discaya-owned construction firm was aboveboard and legal.

This comes after Baguio lawyer Francis Camtugan and several residents raised questions about the P110-million project awarded to St. Gerrard Construction Company, which is reportedly owned by couple Cezarah “Ate Sarah” and Pacifico “Curlee” Discaya — both subjects of ongoing House and Senate inquiries.

The project, which covered the tennis courts and parking area, was awarded in October 2022 with a 470-day (about 15 months) completion period. But delays plagued the work. Magalong even threatened to recommend the company for blacklisting, prompting St. Gerrard to deploy more manpower to finish the job. It wasn’t until June this year that residents finally got to use the renovated facilities.

In a 20 September statement, Magalong said the project went through proper bidding.

“St. Gerrard Construction was a qualified bidder and submitted the most responsive bid,” he stressed.

Earlier, Camtugan had questioned whether the project was overpriced, who assessed the Discayas’ financial capacity, and which architects and engineers were behind the plan. He also wondered if city officials had ties to the Discayas, even asking how Magalong could take part in infrastructure investigations if he or his office may have benefited from kickbacks.

Magalong countered that the city’s Bids and Awards Committee and other offices strictly followed procedures. He admitted, however, that the city is holding the contractor accountable for lapses.

“St. Gerrard is currently addressing punch listing orders for delays and deficiencies in the project. These issues have led to liquidated damages totaling P4.9 million. The company’s remaining receivables from the city stand at P26.2 million. These figures reflect their accountability, and we will enforce it fully until all obligations are met,” he said.

The mayor also pushed back against insinuations linking the controversy to the Discayas’ name. “Insinuations are being made simply because of the company’s controversial name,” Magalong said, noting his track record in past probes like the Mamasapano incident and the “ninja cops” controversy.