Takeover of Outer Cove Marina depends on probe outcome

A planned oversight hearing on the controversy surrounding the Outer Cove Marina will uncover possible wrongdoing in the construction as well as operations of the berthing area, according to Senate Floor Leader Pete P. Reyes.

The senator earlier has asked Rep. Bobby Guerrero, chair of the House Commerce and Tourism Committee, to conduct the joint investigation into the dispute between boat owners and Marine Revitalization Corp., operator of the marina.

Mr. Reyes stressed this hearing will seek a final resolution to the problems which have already affected commercial operations, particularly tour operators using Outer Cove, for the last 18 months.

He said, however, it remains to be seen whether the government will takeover management of the marina or let MRC run it provided it institutes changes sought by the boat owners.

They also want to find out why the terms of the original agreement approved by the Legislature in 1995 are not being followed under the present system.

“We have a lot of questions that we need to ask. We want to find out what happened to the original version which the Legislature approved. Why was the final version different from what we approved?” said Mr. Reyes in an interview.

Issues such as relocation of boat owners to unsafe area of the marina and charging of fees not covered under the agreement will be addressed during the hearing, which will be scheduled once Mr. Guerrero returns from Washington D.C.

“We don’t know what the problems are. We are just barely scratching the surface,” he explained. “Why right now are boat owners being charged twice?”

Protesters against MRC have asked assistance from the Senate and backed the proposed oversight to address the impasse. Boat owners and tour operators have been complaining about the stiff departure passenger fee imposed by MRC as well as potential safety hazards posed by the marina itself to users.

MRC, a non-profit corporation, was granted a 15-year lease by the Department of Lands and Natural Resources under Public Law 9-46 on some 16,394 square meters of submerged lands.

Although initially estimated to cost around $1.5 million to $2 million, the marina’s construction reached almost double to $3 million, according to Mr. Reyes.

“Who is responsible for inflating this? Why do users of marina have to suffer the business failure of someone? Why do we have to pass the buck to somebody who is not responsible for their mistakes?” he asked.

“If we don’t try to find out the answers to this problem, it would make matters more complicated for us in the future,” added the senator.