FLI willing to resume payments to the city

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City administrator Jose Marie Poblete yesterday announced that the officials of the Filinvest Land Inc. had changed their minds and are now willing to pay the city of its obligation amounting to P845.2 million.

Tristan Las Marias, FLI first vice president for Visayas and Mindanao, visited Mayor Michael Rama in City Hall yesterday morning where both of them discussed FLI's failure to settle the company's fourth installment payment of P245.2 million that was already due last March 5.

Aside from that amount, Acting Cebu City Treasurer Ofelia Oliva also demanded that FLI release P600 million as the initial 10 percent share of the city from the sales of condominium projects constructed by FLI within the 40-hectare lots subject to a joint venture agreement.

Las Marias assured Poblete, Oliva and City Legal Officer Joseph Bernaldez that his company is willing to pay its obligations to the city, but on the condition that the city will also work for a particular document.

Poblete refused to reveal what was the condition was said it will be handled by Bernaldez.

Las Marias sent Rama a letter two weeks ago saying that his company withheld its fourth installment payment amounting to P245,200,000 because of the “Les Pendens” annotation in the titles of the two lots that FLI had purchased through installment payment.

Aside from the 40-hectare lot that was subjected to a joint venture agreement, the FLI also purchased 10.6 hectares at the South Road Properties at P1.5 billion payable staggered basis every year until the cost will be fully paid.

FLI officials got worried because the annotation on the land titles means that the lot involves a case still pending before the court. It happened after the court sheriff subjected the two lots already sold by the city to FLI for garnishment because of another case involving the Cebu City.

The court sheriff wanted to garnish the property in order for the city to settle its obligation to the heirs of the late Rev. Fr. Vicente Rallos amounting to P133 million as payment of the 4,654 square-meter lot that was made a public road in Barangay Sambag II, now named ML Aznar Road.

Rama refused to pay the P133 million demanded by the heirs of the late priest even if the case has been declared already by the Supreme Court as final and executory because of the newly-discovered evidence that City Hall found in old court records.

The mayor said the Rallos family agreed in 1940 before Huez Benito Natividad of the Court of First Instance, now the Regional Trial Court, that they will construct a road for public use within their property in Sambag 2.

"Nagkasabot na man diay sila adtong 1940 nga maghimo g'yud sila og karsada para gamiton sa publiko unya nganong pagka 2001 ila na man ta nga pabayron?" Rama said, adding he also wants the P56 million the city has paid the Ralloses to be refunded.   (FREEMAN)