I HAVE high respect for Councilor Edgardo Labella, that’s why I had to pause to look for anything malicious in his call, made during the Cebu City Council session last Wednesday, for a House inquiry aimed at revisiting Commonwealth Act 141. I found out that it was the reaction of those who misinterpreted or misheard his privilege speech that was malicious.

Even the response of Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who was in Manila at that time, was knee-jerk. “No one consulted me. The Ombudsman is good enough,” he told Sun.Star Cebu in a text message as if what Labella, and I reckon the Council too, intended was to call for a House probe solely on Capitol and the Balili lot controversy.

Post your prayers and condolences for Cory Aquino's family

Here’s how Labella expounded his intention: “This (Balili lot controversy) is not an isolated case. And the inquiry is not only on the Balili property…There is a compelling need. There are many controversies involving public lands.”

In a way, what Labella meant was also the point in the editorial titled “What about the titling of lots?” that came out in Sun.Star Cebu yesterday. The Balili lot fiasco actually sprung from an original sin, which was the titling of an underwater land.

“You wish,” was probably what Labella muttered when critics of Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia thought he had jumped into their bandwagon. Of course, if it were, say, the mayor’s openly sipsip councilors who delivered the privilege speech, the intent would have been different---and probably politically twisted.

I mean, read again the content of Labella’s speech and you will find that it rhymes with statements made by, of all people, Capitol consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda a few days ago.

Reacting to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) admission that many lot buyers had the same experience as the Capitol on the Balili lot, Sepulveda said: “We call on those who were victimized to come to Capitol. The Capitol will help them. We’ll go deeper into this.”

And what’s deeper than the House inquiry that Labella sought?

Here’s how Labella said it: “The DENR issued free patents to the Balilis on May 16, 1978…(and) the Municipality of Naga classified the property as industrial and recreational…It is the respectful submission of this representation that in the light of the development, there is a need for a congressional inquiry into the matter in order to look into the deficiencies of the law on the titling of lands of public domain for the passage of remedial legislative intervention.”

It actually would have been better if those behind the titling of supposedly inalienable lots in the names of private entities get prosecuted, which would be difficult considering the lapse of time since these were committed and the scope. So the House inquiry thing is, as we Cebuanos would say, “maayo na lang kay saw wa.”

But then again, we do not know the minds of Congress people and it is possible Labella’s good intention would instead be used to serve a political end if a House inquiry is made. But that’s subject of another column altogether. (P.S.: Rep. Raul del Mar had said that the House’s schedule is already full before Congress’ break in October. Mmm…)

(khanwens@yahoo.com/ my blog: cebuano.wordpress.com)