Thursday, August 19, 2004 City councilors approve P10M housing land deal By Gingging A. Campaña Sun.Star Staff Reporter
FOR the first time since they assumed office last July 1, Cebu City councilors, all members of the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan (BO-PK), disagreed over a flagship project of Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera, during the council’s regular session yesterday, moved to defer for a week Councilor Nestor Archival’s proposed resolution to buy a P10.63-million property for a socialized housing project in Barangay San Jose.
Pesquera and Councilor Gerardo Carillo wanted the City’s Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) to determine the exact number of qualified socialized housing beneficiaries and the criteria for selection, before City Hall buys the land.
Archival filed a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into a tripartite memorandum of agreement with owners of a 9,800-square-meter property and the St. Michael Neighborhood Association Inc. of Barangay San Jose.
In the same proposal, Archival asked the City Council to appropriate and release in full P10.63 million to buy the project site.
The amount was to be taken from the DWUP trust fund.
Pesquera pointed out that releasing full payment for a property violates Commission on Audit (COA) rules.
Half and half
COA rules provide that in buying property, a local government should only pay half of the total value upon signing a deed of absolute sale. The other half shall be paid after ownership of the property has been transferred to the local government.
Pesquera also questioned the varying number of qualified housing beneficiaries.
“DWUP earlier reported that there were 168 beneficiaries then later there were 179. Which is which? Then it was reported that two of the 102 are disqualified and 62 lack supporting documents,” she said. “Are they ghost beneficiaries?”
Pesquera said she is not against the project or buying the property, but she only wants defects in the proposed resolution and pertinent documents corrected.
Pesquera and Carillo proposed that Archival put the authorization of the mayor and the allocation of funds in separate resolutions.
Safety rules
But Archival insisted that his proposal be approved during the session.
He asked for help from Councilor Edgardo Labella, who suggested the inclusion of “safety” phrases, such as “requiring the beneficiary selection committee to submit a list of qualified beneficiaries for approval by the City Council and subject to COA rules.”
Vice Mayor Michael Rama, council presiding officer, let the legislative body vote on Pesquera’s motion to defer.
Of the 18 council members, only Councilors Eduardo Rama Jr., Glena Bontuyan and Pesquera voted to defer approval of the proposed resolution.
Carillo changed his mind and supported Archival, provided that Labella’s proposed amendment is included in the resolution.
Councilor Sylvan Jakosalem was out of the session hall during the voting.
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