Rama unfazed by DILG opinion on SRP deal

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has belittled the legal opinion issued by the Department of the Interior and Local Government questioning the P16-billion sale of the 45 hectare lots at the South Road Properties because it was made contrary to the provisions of an existing ordinance.

City Ordinance 2332, which was passed and approved on July 18, 2012, protects the SRP and its stakeholders from unlawful and unauthorized transactions and dealings by requiring that sale should be with the concurrence of the City Council.

But on August 13, 2014, the body adopted a resolution allowing the mayor to negotiate and sell 45 hectares of the SRP through public bidding to any interested parties.

Filinvest Land Incorporated and an SM-Ayala Consortium each won as highest bidders of two lots that totaled 45 hectares.

City Councilor Sisinio Andales, head of the City Council’s committee on laws, ordinances and good government, however, recently said last month’s sale of 45 hectares of the SRP was irregular and highly-questionable because it was only based on the resolution.

DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero said that “as a general rule, ordinances are superseded, repealed and/or amended only by ordinances, in line with Article 7 of the New Civil Code, which provides that laws are repealed only by subsequent ones.”

He said the issue can be resolved by the parties by lodging appropriate legal remedies before the proper forum.

The City Council is scheduled to discuss the issue during its regular session this morning.

Rama, though, said he is not worried about the DILG legal opinion, saying that an opinion is not a law and therefore there is always a presumption that the city government’s move was above board.

Former congressman and mayor Tomas R. Osmeña, Rama’s political nemesis and ally of Andales, said he is afraid that there might be a possibility that the sale of the two SRP lots would be delayed again because the procedures were not strictly complied with.

Per conditions set for the sale of the lots, half of the P16-billion in payment will be given to the city after the issuance of the deeds of sale, while the remaining half will be settled within the next three years.

“Among awhagon ang city treasurer nga kadtong P1.6 billion nga advance payment nga nadawat na sa siyudad dili usa kadto gastohon kay basin og momando ang Commission on Audit nga iuli ang kuwarta.  Unsa pa may iuli kon gigasto na,” Andales said. — (FREEMAN)