DAVAO CITY — A consortium that was planning to develop the coastline of the city in a nearly P40-billion project is awaiting a formal explanation from Mayor Sara Duterte of her decision to terminate the project’s joint venture agreement (JVA) that had been signed last year by the mayor’s father, then mayor and now President Rodrigo Duterte.

In a statement released here on Saturday, Mega Harbour Port and Development Corp president Victor Songco said the consortium was questioning Mayor Sara’s reasons for terminating the project—its effects on the environment and legal and social implications outweighing commercial viability.

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Songco said Mayor Sara’s decision was “unfair and unreasonable” and said Mega Harbour might challenge it in court.

He said the JVA, signed on June 21, 2016, had the support of the city council which passed a resolution and ordinance to support the project.

“This purported reason will not hold,” Songco said in the statement.

“This is why we wonder why the mayor has to engage in this publicity when she has not been directly involved or has allowed herself to be comprehensively briefed on the project,” he said.

He said the company agreed to revisions in the JVA proposed by the city government, including an increase in the city government’s land share.

The consortium also prepared to develop an area for some 4,000 informal settlers and allotted P1.9 billion for it, he said.

In a statement announcing the termination of the JVA, Mayor Sara said the decision “came after about more than a year of careful review and study.”

“Our decision to terminate the joint venture agreement is coupled with a resolve that Davao City can really move forward and answer the call of economic growth by implementing highly sustainable projects, both commercially and environmentally,” Mayor Sara said in the statement.

She also said “the paramount consideration has been your (residents’) welfare and the future of Davao City.” —Allan Nawal

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