Bimbo brands UP move on Lahug lot "immoral"

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Administrator Francisco Fernandez strongly condemned the move of the University of the Philippines Visayas Cebu College (UPVCC) to recover its property in barangay Lahug that was recently hit by fire.

The city administrator described the move of the school to evict the informal settlers as grossly immoral for the reason that this might set a precedent not only in Cebu, but throughout the country.

“Kauwaw nato nga ang paagi diay nga kinasayunan pag-evict sa mga squatter dinhi magsugod sa Cebu, imbes noted ta nga dinhi gipatay si Magellan, ma-noted na unya ta nga dinhi gisugdan ang pagpatay sa mga squatters,” Fernandez said.

The city administrator has promised to do anything he can do just to stop the plan of the said institution to fence the area.

Fernandez is calling the different urban poor groups, U.P. faculty and students to rally behind his cause.

Fernandez said that if the school would insist on recovering the lot in Lahug, he will be forced to recommend that the city rescind its donation of five hectares at the South Road Properties (SRP) worth P500 million to the school.

The city administrator will recommend to Mayor Tomas Osmeña the cancellation of the donation.

In a separate interview, Osmeña said that he already gave Fernandez the full authority to help the affected families.

He also assured that he will put a squeeze on UPVCC if the city administrator will give him the go signal.

Osmeña, however, favors to have a status quo of the situation while expressing difficulty in recovering the SRP lot given to the school.

He characterized the issue on UPVCC lot in Lahug as complicated since the condition of donating the property is solely for the school use.

Osmeña said that the donor, which is the provincial government, might be given an excuse to recover the lot if UPVCC failed to clear the area.

“There’s a condition that it only be used for schools, so, UPVCC can’t allow anyone like the urban poor to live there. It will just give an excuse of the province to file a case to get back of the land,” Osmeña said.

The Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 16 granted the petition of UPVCC to protect its right to recover the 800-square-meter lot.

But Fernandez said that he is very much willing to be imprisoned for contempt just to protect the interest of the urban poor.

The city administrator lambasted the order of Judge Sylva Paderanga and calling it immoral because, according to him, would institutionalize a certain system.

“Ug legal nang order nila, I think that is a very immoral order nga dili na patukuron ug balik ang mga nasunugan because they have just institutionalized a system how to evict people and I think that it is grossly unfair,” Fernandez said.

Nevertheless, it is also stated in the order that the court only allows UPVCC to fence its property if barangay Lahug grants a permit to the school.

Barangay captain Mary Ann de los Santos said that she can’t act on the permit application of UPVCC since there is an intervenor in the case.

De los Santos is referring to the heirs of Prudencio Magno, represented by Attorney Salvador Solima, questioning the validity of UPVCC title.

Mayor Osmeña also said that he will not do anything if he will receive an application of the school asking for a fencing permit.

Judge Paderanga, however, encouraged both parties to sit down and settle the issue in a peaceful manner.

Fernandez expressed his willingness to talk with the UPVCC officials to solve the dispute. – Elly Bolonos/NLQ   (FREEMAN NEWS)