THE Cebu City Attorney’s Office is preparing the appropriate pleadings to ask the court to compel the Provincial Government to open the financial records of the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT).

But City Treasurer Ofelia Oliva said she is giving the Capitol “a break” by allowing it to have more time to think over her request.

She said the City Attorney’s Office is drafting the petitions, but she has yet to meet with City Attorney Joseph Bernaldez as to when the pleadings would be filed.

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As of the moment, her office is busy preparing the documents and other requirements for the benefits and privileges of the City’s 5,000 employees.

“Let’s give them time. We are still preparing for the release of the benefits and payments of the employees,” Oliva said.

Tax examiners from her office visited the CSBT last Oct. 20 to inspect its records, for information the City needs to compute the taxes it wants the Province to pay.

But official records, which were kept at the Capitol’s accounting office and not at the terminal, were denied to them.

Oliva said the City will resort to judicial and administrative actions, which will include the issuance of a warrant of levy on the CSBT, and petitions for the court to compel the Capitol to show her the documents she asked for.

The levy, she said, could be justified because of the Capitol’s tax delinquencies from 2001 to 2009.

Last Oct. 13, City Hall served Oliva’s request asking Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia to prepare and present the Books of Accounts of the CSBT by Oct. 19.

Oliva informed the governor she has authorized six of her division heads and staff to examine the financial records of the terminal “to ascertain, assess and collect the correct amount of taxes, fees and charges” the Province owes the City from 2004 to 2008.

The City’s tax examiners, however, only got “a few figures.”

They were not shown the Books of Accounts, financial statements, community tax certificates for 2009 of the tenants and their personnel, a copy of the lease contracts of all the tenants, and other laws, ordinances and policies relative to the bus terminal’s operations.

In particular, what was learned was that the terminal earned P2.95 million from Oct. 1 to 18 this year, with P1.035 million coming from the P5 each passenger paid.

Oliva said the Capitol applied for a business permit, with P25 million in capitalization, but did not pay any fees.

The Capitol has maintained that being a local government unit, it cannot be taxed by the City in operating the CSBT.