INNOLAND DEVELOPMENT Corp. (IDC) turned over on Monday its rented property to the Cebu government after the provincial administration questioned the validity of the lease contract. In a ceremony, Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia and IDC Senior Property Manager Janez Zozobrado signed the memorandum of agreement for the return of the 849-square meter (sq.m.) property, which the company leased starting April 2014 for P50 per sq.m. The contract, which was supposed to end in April 2020, was signed under former governor and now Vice-Governor Hilario P. Davide III. “By turning it over and accepting the termination of the lease contract which did not carry an SP (Sangguniang Panlalawigan) authorization, we take that gesture as an act of good faith from Innoland,” Ms. Garcia said. IDC turned over the lot along with the showroom, which it built for P25 million. It is located along Salinas Drive in Lahug, neighboring the Cebu IT Park. Cebu Provincial Legal Management consultant Marino Martinquilla said the province will no longer file a civil case against IDC. “We will no longer push through with the case. There is no more case to think of,” he said. The governor, however, said they may still pursue a case against the previous administration. The provincial government plans to bid out the prime property for a lease contract. Ms. Garcia said they will look into the legality of giving IDC priority status in the bidding process considering that the existing structure on the lot was built by the company. — The Freeman

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