Eddiegul: I'm not behind case to stop sale of SRP

First district Rep. Eduardo Gullas said he is not one of those behind the case filed by Tinago barangay captain Joel Garganera to stop Cebu City from selling or leasing the South Road Properties.

"I don't know him. I haven't met him," Gullas said of Garganera. But he said the barangay chief "surely knew" what he is doing.

Garganera earlier this week asked the court to prohibit the City Council from granting any authority to Mayor Tomas Osmeña and to stop the body from approving any sale or lease of the SRP. Garganera filed before the Regional Trial Court a temporary restraining order and a writ of preliminary injunction case.

Garganera claimed that the SRP is a public domain, which means that it is owned by the state thereby giving the City government no authority to dispose of this property as it isn't its.

Garganera wants Presidential Proclamation 843, which transferred the ownership of the SRP to Cebu City, nullified as it would need a Congressional Act to allow a transfer of ownership of the land.

For his part, Gullas believed Garganera's stand but said he will not comment on it until he shall have read the latter's petition.

But Gullas said, being once a Talisay City Mayor, Talisay maintains its position on the SRP-allowing Cebu City to sell it until the court shall have decided on a case of the city's claim that the said project has encroached on its territorial land and waters.

"We've already told the world of the encroachment but we allow them to sell...but (that right) is subject to the rights of Talisay," Gullas said.

The Congressman explained that Talisay, although it caused the delay of the titling of the SRP, it has no intention to obstruct whatever Cebu City has on this project, whether it sells or leases it so long as when the time comes when the court decides in favor of Talisay, then Cebu City and the investors, that will be buying or leasing within the more than 50 hectare-portion of the SRP that Talisay is claiming, will be "answerable to Talisay City." - Liv G. Campo/BRP