Rama to DENR: Probe reported rental 'anomaly'

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama wants the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to investigate the possibility that someone is making money out of its property situated across the Cebu City Hall.

This after Erwin Goc-ong of the Cebu Market Vendors Development Cooperative (Cemvedco) claimed they only collect P100 from those who utilize the place to store their products, but some of the vendors and traders interviewed by The Freeman disclosed they are paying up to P4,000 a month.

No collector, however, was identified.

Upon learning of the supposed anomaly, Rama said DENR should investigate, especially that it owns the property in question. The property is situated adjacent to the century-old Gotiaoco Building along M.C. Briones Street but the same has been declared unsafe by the Office of the Building Officials (OBO) after the structure thereat sustained cracks following the magnitude 6.9 earthquake last week.

Yesterday, Goc-ong and a dozen of other vendors who are occupying the DENR lot met with City Administrator Jose Marie Poblete shortly before midday to ask that they be allowed to stay at the place longer, but Poblete said he is simply following Rama’s order to vacate the plate.

Goc-ong narrated that someone had acquired a foreshore lease contract with DENR for the use of the lot beside the Gotiaoco building, but the place burned down before the term would end.

Some traders at the Carbon Market that do not have a warehouse for their products have decided to use the place as a storage area and paid rental to the lessor of the property until the contract expired in 2009, Goc-ong said.

“Gikan sa 2009 hangtud karon wala na mi mag-abang,” Goc-ong admitted, but did not explain why the traders are still being made to pay P100 as rental.

A City Hall official also said that the P100 is being collected daily. “One hundred lagi pero kada adlaw man sab,” the official said.

Rama said DENR should demolish the remaining structure in its lot or it can allow the city government to do it. The occupants of the lot have been ordered to leave immediately to avoid getting into accidents.

Poblete said the city is planning to convert the area into a park to complement the City Hall. – (FREEMAN)