Team Rama dads accused of blocking sale of SRP lots

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña said the councilors allied with the former mayor are against the sale of a three-hectare lot at the South Road Properties (SRP), as this would reportedly make them “look bad.”

“They don't really like to sell the property. It's the way I look at it. Because it will make the whole Team Rama look bad. If it sells for P110,000, why did they sell the other for P30,000?” he told reporters.

Osmeña plans to sell the three-hectare lot at P3 billion compared to the 45.2-hectare SRP lot sold at just P16 billion in 2015, which Osmeña thinks was “underpriced.”

Osmeña proposed to sell the three-hectare lot at P110,000 per square meter. On the other hand, the previous administration sold the 45.2-hectare at P38,000 per square meter.

“That’s P16 billion worth of property. This is the biggest real estate transaction since Magellan landed in Cebu in 1521,” Osmeña said.

City Councilor Raymond Alvin Garcia, a member of Team Rama, clarified that he is in favor of the SRP lot sale.

“For the record, I am personally in favor of the sale and I will vote for it,” he said in a text message.

Garcia, chairman of the council’s committee on laws, ordinances and styling, said he will further discuss the committee report that recommended to return the proposed ordinance seeking the sale of the SRP lots to its author.

Councilor Nendell Hanz Abella authored the proposed ordinance proposing the sale of three-hectare lots at SRP.

Garcia said the proposed ordinance is no longer needed in disposing lots at SRP, saying that there’s an existing City Ordinance No. 2332 governing the disposal of any lot at SRP.

Under the existing ordinance, he said a resolution, not an ordinance, approved by the City Council is needed prior to the disposal of lots at SRP.

Osmeña, for his part, said the same existing ordinance is prohibiting the sale of the SRP lots through a public bidding.

“He (Garcia) ignores that there's an ordinance not to sell the property. So, the only way to amend an ordinance is through another ordinance. He doesn't know that. He's a stupid lawyer. Or he is just trying to deceive the people to say no. Technically, he's correct. But he's thinking in a vacuum,” Osmeña said.

Osmeña said the ordinance will undergo publication and public hearing wherein concerned stakeholders can voice out their opinion in the proposed disposal of lots at SRP.

“Let’s not be too legalistic about it. Let’s be practical about it and let’s be transparent about it,” he added.

Sought for comment, Garcia challenged Osmeña to present a law that supports that ordinance is used exclusively to dispose lots of a government property.

Garcia said he is willing to quit from his post if the mayor can present such law.

Garcia also said he is sure that the mayor cannot present such law, saying there is nothing in the Local Government Code that would seek authority from the council that can be done through an ordinance.

“I really pity him (Osmeña) because he does not know what he is talking about. He is not a lawyer,” he added.

Garcia said the Ordinance No. 2332 states that the preferred mode of disposal of property is through an unsolicited proposal.

He said that there is no provision in the existing ordinance that another ordinance should be passed by the City Council before the city could dispose lots at SRP.

He said a resolution approved by the City Council is needed, though, to proceed with the sale. (FREEMAN)