Contempt raps vs CH execs consolidated

CEBU, Philippines - The Regional Trial Court judge handling the three contempt charges filed by the heirs of the late Rev. Fr. Vicente Rallos against the Cebu City officials yesterday ordered the consolidation of the complaints.

RTC Branch 9 Judge James Stewart Ramon Himalaloan decided to jointly hear and rule on the contempt charges against Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and the members of the City Council over their refusal to pay the P13.3 million judgment debt to the Rallos heirs despite the final ruling of the case.

The amount was awarded by the court to the Rallos heirs who own the property in Barangay Sambag I which the city government used for public purpose. The court has ordered the respondents to file their comment on the charges within 15 days from yesterday.

Himalaloan said that the pending motion for reconsideration filed by the city officials seeking to set aside the writ of execution is already up for resolution. They also clarified that the third party claim of the Filinvest Land Incorporated will be left to the discretion of the sheriff.

“The third party claim shall be resolved before the sheriff and not before the court except if no agreement on the amount of the indemnity bond between the parties,” he said.

The FLI has filed a third party claim before the office of court sheriff Eugenio Fuentes to cover for the damages that the company may incur incase the property in the South Road Property that they jointly develop with the city government is subjected to a public auction to pay the judgment debt.

The FLI has asked the Rallos heirs to post a sheriff indemnity bond amounting to P1.2 billion, covering their expenses to development the 97,621 square meters property at the SRP. (FREEMAN)