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- EDD K. USMAN | X (Twitter): @edd1819 | Instagram: @bluestar0910 |Facebook: SDN – SciTech & Digital News
PASIG CITY, May 9, 2025 (SDN) — Is the long simmering feud between contractor Selwin Lao and Mayor Vico Sotto about to conclude on a positive note?
Is the icy antagonism between them starting to thaw like an iceberg in the cold, cold Antarctica for the good of all and rid them of stress and tension, and that they can, at last, move on from their long-boiling quarrel?
Nothing would, perhaps, be nicer, including for Pasigueños!
On Monday, May 5, Lao, president of Wing-An Construction and Development Corporation, with Headquarters in Barangay Bambang in the city, hastily called a second press conference, just two days after his May 3 media briefing.
When reporters got wind of the invite from one of their colleagues, they were a bit surprised because they also covered the contractor’s previous press conference last Saturday.
Venue of the media event was still at the Wing-An office building, a small room, perhaps 4 x 8 meters. You could imagine a sardine-like situation, more than a dozen eager beavers — men and women — jostling for a space, their bodies rubbing at each other, their breaths warming an already humid small space.
Why would reporters and bloggers suffer the littleness of space? It’s a job that needs to be done! Passion to spread the news.
Well, before the press conference is forgotten, let’s get back to it.
As everyone had settled down (half of the people in the room is seated, another half standing. And Lao at the head table, holding his smartphone.
Everyone’s tools of the trade, smartphones, tripods, little microphones the one you attached on an interviewee’s clothes, were set on the long table.
Those who were present, including SDN – SciTech & Digital News, perhaps, would have immediately noticed that the guy at the head table, that’s Lao, the engineer contractor-builder, wore a solemn face, like having a mask on his normally regular looking countenance, meaning more of expression-less, serious and seemed unaffected, a stoic face, veteran of life’s battles.
After delivering a brief introductory remark, he let the bomb out!
He said that an official of City Hall, which he identified as City Administrator Jeronimo U. Manzanero had sent him a message the night before, which he said was around midnight.
Lao said that he read the message only noon time the next morning, that’s Monday, May 5. Surprise would be an understatement, judging by his expression.
For is it not that press conferences after press conferences — SDN is on its third to cover the engineer — Lao has been criticizing Sotto, blaming him for his predicament now (his company’s business permit was canceled, can’t operate in the city), calling him names that editors can’t print. When things change. Hopefully this is for good.
The surprise of all surprises?
He said the message that Manzanero sent him is an invitation to tour on-site the location of the new Pasig City Hall Campus project that’s worth Php9.2 billion, where it is going to be built. Remember, that project is a pet target of the engineer.
Presently, the old City Hall Building is being demolished, covered in scaffoldings and green nylon. It’s a sign the new City Hall complex is starting to come around, one demolition at a time, one brick at a time.
In the press conference on May 3 (during which he again slammed the mayor and some of his men and, of course, the project), a reporter showed Lao a news report that quoted Sotto.
Here’s what the mayor says in that news report of The Daily Tribune:
“Another press release from the usual suspects? The contract has been readily available on the Pasig website. Parts of the engineering consultant’s report have been presented in reports to the public; it can also be requested via FOI (Freedom of Information) request, rather than yet another press release.”
Sotto reminded Lao the project is a two-hectare redevelopment undertaking with three towers, a large plaza, a medical facility, interior roads, among other facilities.
“While structural issues and public safety are the top concerns, we must also now maximize the City Hall compound’s land value. If Mr. Lao is sincere in his queries, I would be more than willing to tour him on-site, so that he may understand both the scope and value of this project,” the mayor emphasizes. (signed MVS for Mayor Vico Sotto)
Seemed today was different.
After delivering a brief introductory remark, still with that serious facial expression, he let the bomb out!
He said that an official of City Hall, which he identified as City Administrator James Manzanero had sent him a message the night before, which he said was around midnight.
Lao said that he was able to read the message only the next day at noon time, that’s Monday, May 5. Surprise would be an understatement, judging by his expression.
Perhaps, both parties would want the quarrel to be a thing of the past already, as it has been sizzling even before the three years coronavirus pandemic.
So, are they ready to bury the hatchet, so to speak, and move forward, let bygones be bygones?
Lao is president of the Wing-an Construction Development Corporation, whose business permit was canceled by the local government because of reported violations.
In the most recent press conference, Lao thanked Manzanero for the invitation for an on-site look of the new City Hall project location.
Without categorically saying he accepts the City Hall invitation, he said he will ask for a plan and specs of the project, the contract, also an independent observer, among others.
Lao boasted in his May 3 press conference that he can with the use of a computer and a calculator (which he saiid he will ask from the mayor) determine the actual cost of the Php9.2 billion mega-undertaking of the Sotto administration. Whether he could accomplish that in six hours, or do it all, remember that as builder-developer he said his company already built some 200 construction projects. Perhaps, that’s where his confidence comes from.
And, just maybe, both parties would want the quarrel to be a thing of the past already, as it has been sizzling at least since the three years coronavirus pandemic. Notably, as far as Lao is concerned as he has been lambasting the mayor in every press conference held in his office in Barangay Bambang here. And that the National and Local Elections (NLE) 2025, where Sotto is running for a third term, is only three short days away.
It’s being only two days after the electoral exercise prompted Lao to ask the reporters and the bloggers present, if they noticed the May 14 schedule for the on-site look at the project.
But would it not be nice that the heat of the election season washes away the years of animosity between the mayor and the engineer?
Whether the invitation of Manzanero, which is for on-site look of the project’s location would push through, is anybody’s guess. The supposed meet-up is two days after the May 12 midterm elections.
Pray it will! (√)
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The author
EDD, a native of Sub-Saharan Africa Buluan/Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, BARMM, college at UST, is a Manila-based journalist for over 40 years (33 years with Manila Bulletin), has five Media Awards (1 with University of the Philippines (UP) 2017 Science Journalism Award), covered and traveled over 40 times abroad), has contributed to Rappler, Business Mirror, former Manila-based Foreign Correspondent of Saudi Arabia newspapers Saudi Gazette and Riyadh Daily, and The Peninsula (Qatar newspaper), with 2008 East-West Center (EWC) Journalism Seminar in the United States, 2000 Executive IT Seminar in Seoul, South Korea, with three Silver Awards in Photography, writes Muslim and Current Affairs, Enterprise, Science, Tech, Products Launch, and virtually everything under Heaven. (@)