Councilor wants Rama to consult

CEBU, Philippines - Members of the City’s 93-1 negotiating team felt offended by Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama’s decision to meet and discuss with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia the fate of the members of 43 homeowners’ associations occupying Province-owned lots from 13 barangays in the city.

City Councilor Alvin Dizon, one of the members of the negotiating team, yesterday said the mayor’s move to have a dialogue with the governor has not been consulted with the negotiating team and the 93-1 urban poor leaders.

“Before talking with the governor, I respectfully suggest to Mayor Rama to dialogue first with the negotiation team and the 93-1 urban poor leaders to get their side on the issue and to be updated on what is happening on the ground,” Dizon said.

The neophyte councilor pointed out that Rama created the 93-1 Cebu City negotiating team, but they were not informed of the recent move of the mayor.

Aside from Dizon, City Councilors Nida Cabrera and Sisinio Andales are also part of the team, which has been meeting with the lot occupants and their leaders every month.

Records kept by the 93-1 Movement show an unpaid balance of P321,576,400.

The figure represents amounts owed by those who have made only partial payments and those who have not paid at all.

In the report, there are 465, 295.01 square meters total affected area in the lots located in barangays Apas, Luz, Busay, Mabolo, Lorega, Camputhaw, Lahug, Capitol Site, and Kalunasan.

Although Rama, being the chief executive, has the authority to negotiate with Capitol on the 93-1 issue, Dizon said the mayor failed to consult with the members of the city council on his plan.

“While he is empowered as the local chief executive to protect the interest and welfare of the city constituents, I humbly believe that it is wise and prudent for the mayor to consult the city council especially those who are members of the 93-1 Cebu City negotiation team, which he created,” Dizon added.

The occupants were given three grace periods to settle their accounts as approved during the term of then Gov. Vicente de la Serna.

It was dela Serna who approved Resolution no. 239-93, also known as provincial ordinance 93-1.

With the occupants’ failure to settle their accounts on time, the provincial government extended the deadline from January 1994 to 1999. This was later extended to 2004.

After 2004, majority of the occupants appealed for another extension to Gov. Garcia.

The governor declined the appeal after occupants, who have fully paid for their lots, approached her and said that extending the deadline is already unfair to them.

During her first term as governor, Garcia made it a policy to recover all the properties of the province for the benefit of her constituents.

There are a total of 4,000 beneficiary families. Of the number only 1, 410 have fully paid their obligations while 1,536 families have partially paid and the rest did not pay at all. (FREEMAN)