Rama: City will follow law in cemetery project

CEBU, Philippines - The city government will act within legal bounds in implementing the development project on the Roman Catholic Cemetery, known commonly as the Doña Pepang Cemetery.

This was what Mayor Michael Rama assured yesterday after former mayor and congressman Tomas Osmeña asked the court to stop the city from demolishing the graves and niches within the Osmeña Mausoleum Property, which is located at the cemetery.

“I’m just a little bit confused or maybe aghast… what is prompting him to do it? Nothing to worry on his (Osmeña) part. We will always act on the basis on the rule of law,” Rama said.

Rama said the city is only continuing a project, which Osmeña himself started.

“Ayaw siya patakataka og dasmag kay kon moingon siya og destroy, kinsa man ang i-destroy namo? Ang mausoleum nga nagtungtung sa Roman Catholic Cemetery? Ang pangutana, naa ba na silay titulo anang gitungtungan sa Roman Catholic cemetery nga maingon ta’g ilaha?” Rama argued.

He said the city government is just acting on the Deed of Exchange and the Memorandum of Agreement it entered with the Archdiocese of Cebu over the lot.

Rama reiterated that the Roman Catholic Cemetery is no longer open for internment.

“Dili naman na nato gamiton nga magpasulod ta og patay kay naa naman tay Carreta cemetery, Queen City cemetery, Barrio Luz cemetery, Sto. Rosario cemetery, Cathedral cemetery,” he said.

Osmeña said the MOA Rama signed with the Archdiocese of Cebu provided that the area of the cemetery shall be developed in order to “preserve the place and uphold its historical importance” and not destroyed.

“Just because at the beginning iya kung gitira, pagkahuman og hapak nako sa iyang nawng nga siya ra diay ana unya moingon siya og I’m not going to destroy? Naa ba diay dili ma-destroy nga mobuhat ka og parke? Dili ma-destroy kun mobuhat ta og beautify unya imong i-rehabilitate aron imong ihimong historical ang lugar,” Rama said.

He said that if there are people who will be displaced because of the development, they will be relocated to a property that they can eventually own.

City Attorney Jerone Castillo, for his part, said Osmeña’s petition is baseless.

“With all due respect, given sa complaint and sa akong opinion, no cause of action gyud siya,” Castillo said.

He said the documents – the MOA, Deed of Exchange, resolution of City Council – will support the city’s reply to the petition.

He said the city government ought to act on the MOA it entered with the Archdiocese otherwise it will commit breach of contract.

“A MOA is like a law, a contract has the force of law between the contracting parties. When there is a provision there, you are already bound by the provision. If it says that it should be a public park, then you should implement it because it is part of the provision,” he said.

He said the least the petition should have contained are clear arguments.

“You place there that we are about (to destroy) pero is there is already destruction? There is none. They should be particular in their allegations,” he said.

The city’s Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor is set to meet with 35 families with members buried in the cemetery to discuss the development, including the Osmeñas.

The meeting will be on November 30 at the Cebu City Hall social hall at 10 a.m. – (FREEMAN)