Hospital denies defying CH stoppage order

CEBU, Philippines - The management of Chong Hua Hospital has denied that the construction at the back of its medical arts center along Guadalupe River continues despite the stoppage order issued by the city government.

 â€œDugay na namo na gihunong mga several weeks ago. Katong pag-invite sa city government namo nga mag-meeting. Taya naman gani,” said Lawyer Dean Decal, CHH legal officer.

 Engineer Serafin Uy Jr. of  Espina Village earlier complained of the construction undertaken by CHH because it is allegedly encroaching the river and his property.

Uy said the construction has resulted in the narrowing of the river, which poses danger to the residents nearby.

“The construction makes the river narrower and had a curve design, wherein with high volume of water during rainy season, the water on the river will follow the curve towards my client’s property,” said Uy’s lawyer Santiago Ortiz Jr.

Article 51 of Presidential Decree No. 1067 known as “The Water Code of the Philippines” provides that; “The banks or rivers and streams and the shores of the seas and lakes throughout their entire length and within a zone of three meters in urban areas, along their margins, are subject to the easement of public use in the interest of recreation, navigation, flotage, fishing and salvage. No person shall be allowed to stay in this zone longer than what is necessary for recreation, navigation, or to build structures of any kind.”

But, Decal said they have complied with all the requirements to proceed with the project – repair of retaining wall amounting to around P1 million.

 â€œNa-crack man gud tungod sa earthquake so we have to repair kay mahuslo ‘nya, maapektuhan pud ang properties. Nangayo mi’g tabang sa expert (on how to deal with the damage),” he said.

 However, Cebu City Rivers Management Council (CCRMC) chairman Jose Daluz III said that when they approved the papers of CHH to proceed with the project, they thought that it’s only a repair of the existing retaining wall – not constructing a new one.

“Ang pag-repair diay nila ang paglig-on sa foundation, naghimo sila’g foundation mora’g retaining wall, which is still a repair to reinforce sa retaining wall mao diay to it’s different interpretation kay when we approve the application pag-repair we thought nga repair of the existing wall ang ila interpretation mo reinforce sila mobutang sila’g foundation,” Daluz said.

CCRMC recommended to CHH to demolish the new retaining wall. (FREEMAN)