De los Santos eyes suing Osmeña over land donation

CEBU, Philippines - Former Lahug barangay captain Mary Ann de los Santos is eyeing at filing charges against Cebu City South District Rep. Tomas Osmeña in line with the latter’s move of donating a property to a private group a few days before the May 10, 2010 elections.

De los Santos who was at the Provincial Capitol yesterday said she and some homeowners association in Lahug and Kalunasan will sue the former mayor “if he will not reconsider his stand.”

Delos Santos is one of those who questioned the proposed conversion of the Osmeña Shrine into a cemetery for the Evangelical Christian Coalition of Cebu Inc. (ECCCI). She said the timing of the donation was questionable even if it had the approval of the City Council.

The Council approved a resolution authorizing the donation on April 13, 2010, which Osmeña signed on May 4, 2010, a few days before the May 10, 2010 elections.

Delos Santos said majority of residents in the area are against the conversion of the shrine into a cemetery.

De los Santos pointed out earlier that based on the map of the city and the map of Barangay Lahug, the property donated falls within the territorial jurisdiction of Lahug and not of Kalunasan.

Even if the lot was outside its territorial jurisdiction, De los Santos said the barangay still has the legal standing to oppose the project because its constituents are the ones being affected.

De los Santos, a staunch critic of Osmeña, clarified that she met with Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for another purpose yesterday and it was only coincidental that the issue about the lot donation was brought up. Capitol is also reportedly keeping an eye on the issue.

Like Delos Santos, Garcia also raised the election-related issue on the move of Osmeña as well as the issue on the specific purpose of the subject property when it was donated by the Province to Cebu City.

The property being eyed as site for cemetery is covered by an agreement that the provincial government and city government entered into on July 15, 1974. The agreement, duly promulgated by Judge Alfredo Marigomen of the already defunct Court of First Instance in July 15, 1974, states that the property shall be used by the public for playground and shrine . — (FREEMAN)