Court stays SRP auction on Rallos claim

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Trial Court has recalled an earlier order to hold a public auction of the Cebu City-owned property at the South Road Properties to pay for the over P133 million judgment debt of the city government to the heirs of the late Fr. Vicente Rallos.

RTC Branch 9 Judge James Stewart Ramon Himalaloan decided to stay the public auction until all the pending incidents surrounding the case shall have been resolved.

Among the pending incidents that the court wanted to resolve first if the motion for reconsideration filed by the city government to set aside the writ of execution.

The court earlier ordered to auction a portion of the SRP to cover the P133 million that the court has ordered for the city to pay the heirs of Rallos as just compensation of their property in Barangay Sambag I which the government used as public road.

The auction was supposed to be held last December 16 as recommended by Court Sheriff Eugenio Fuentes.

“The judge holds in abeyance until further order the execution sale at public auction of the levied property until pending motions/incidents in the civil case are resolved,” the order reads.

Himalaloan, nevertheless, ordered that the hearing of the pending incidents on January 16 next year at 2 pm shall proceed.

Meanwhile, the Rallos heirs filed another pleading before the court asking to cite Mayor Michael Rama and the members of the City Council in contempt of court for their refusal to pay the judgment debt. (FREEMAN)