Osmeña to continue questioning authority of Capitol over DA lot

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Tomas Osmeña is bent on pursuing his plan to question the authority of the Cebu provincial government over the lot that was occupied by the Department of Agriculture along M. Velez St., Cebu City.

The mayor is questioning why the Capitol was able to secure a title for the lot despite the information that the titling was done during the stint of his father, then governor Sergio “Serging” Osmeña Jr.

The younger Osmeña said it doesn’t matter if the titling of the lot was done during the term of his father, saying he will continue to find out why the province managed to have the lot titled under its name without any deed of donation or deed of sale from the national government.

The mayor was able to obtain a pre-war issued title that the Office of the Register of Deeds of the Province of Cebu issued in 1910 which showed that the property is registered in the name of the “Govierno de las Islas Filipinas,” or the national government.

However, he added the Province of Cebu, through court proceedings, managed to have the property titled under its name that is why he wants to find it out how it was done without any sale or donation.

Lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda, provincial consultant on information and spokesman of Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, said they are not sure yet if the titling of the lot was done during the stint of Serging because they are still collating the documents.

“We are still trying to zero in the exact date (of the titling), but we are certain, however, that it was during those times in the 50s that the Osmeñas were very active in Cebu provincial politics,” Sepulveda said.

The City Council, during its special session, is expected to take up the proposed resolution of Councilor Edgardo Labella authorizing the mayor to file a case in court to stop Garcia from evicting the urban poor families living in the lot that was used to be occupied by the DA and to determine the right owner of the lot.—Rene U. Borromeo/WAB (THE FREEMAN)