Vice Mayor Cesar Ituralde yesterday said all the members of the City Council, the Office of the City Secretary and all the rank and file employees of the local legislative body will continue to hold office in the Sangguniang Panlungsod Building pending the official recommendation of the City Engineer’s Office whether to move to a temporary relocation site when needed repair and rehabilitation of the edifice will start.

Ituralde said that they will all maintain office in the SP building despite some suggestion of several opposition councilor are proposing to come up with a a relocation site for the members of the august body as early as possible.

“I believe the SP Building is safe for occupancy. However, we’re still waiting for the official recommendation of the City Engineer’s Office whether to vacate the buildings once they would start with the repair and rehabilitation work,” Ituralde said

The vice mayor said the City Engineer’s Office and the Philippine Institute of Civil Engineers (PICE) are now in close coordination in determining the right design and cost estimates for the repair and rehabilitation works particularly on the roof deck.

He added that the Council’s Committee on Appropriations chaired by Councilor Nonong Guingona will also eventually meet to discuss the needed appropriations for the pending repair and rehabilitation works.

Initially, the said committee allocated some P5 million for the repair and rehabilitation works.

Ituralde said as of now the City Council will continue to hold office in the SP building while awaiting for the official recommendation of the City Engineer”s Office and the PICE.

Meanwhile, during yesterday’s regular session, District 1 Councilor Jaime Cabato has sponsored a resolution asking the Committee on Infrastructure to meet and confer with the City Engineer Luis Despalo and the PICE to get a first- hand information regarding the true status of the building and the pending repair and rehabilitation works.

Ealier, District 1 Councilor Jawo Jimenez’s sponsored resolution calling for his eventual transfer of offices from the SP Building to a proposed relocation site on the ground that the deicide seem not safe for occupancy was junked by the councilors with a vote of 7-9 and two absentions.

Majority of the LDP councilors believe that the SP Building is still safe for occupancy despite the emergence of cracks and leaks and not to mention the occasional rattling of the building.

The Commission on Audit is also set to come up with its special audit investigation on the construction of the SP Building on allegations by some sectors and prominent individuals that it has various defects in its structure and design.