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Friday, August 18, 2006
Rama keeps open mind on CCMC takeover
Vice Mayor Michael Rama is open to the mayor’s plan to turn over the Cebu City Medical Center (CCMC) to Capitol as part of the land swap deal so residents occupying Province-owned lots will not have to lose their homes.
Although he opposed earlier proposals to shut down or turn over CCMC to other entities, Rama said yesterday that he is willing to listen to Mayor Tomas Osmeña’s plan.
Solutions
“Even before this offer to the Province came up, I was opposed to such proposals and I have been saying that if possible, we should address the problems at CCMC because we were never satisfied with its services,” he said in a phone interview.
“We probably have to look for solutions other than turning it over to another entity. But now with the mayor’s proposal, I have not heard the details yet but I’m open to it. I’m keeping an open mind about it but we have look at the matter objectively and look at its entirety,” Rama continued.
Rama said he and the rest of the City Council will sit down with the mayor to discuss the repackaged land swap agreement, which now includes the turning over of the CCMC management to Capitol.
Blew top
But in his regular news conference yesterday, Osmeña blew his top after being told of a TV interview with Rama, who was quoted as saying that he is not in favor of giving CCMC to Capitol.
Rama denied making such a statement, though.
The mayor said that with Rama’s comment, he will leave it to the vice mayor to solve the problem on the aborted land swap deal.
Osmeña and the council already agreed that only the mayor will comment about the land swap to the media, after the council’s statements about it prompted Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia to cancel the agreement.
“I can let him run CCMC and let him improve it. If he wants, I’ll let him solve the problem with the Province. We already had an understanding that he’s going to keep his mouth shut on this. Now, if he wants to comment that he’s not in favor, then let him solve this,” the mayor said.
He said earlier that all talks between the City and Province on the proposed takeover of CCMC by Capitol will be suspended until the council takes a stand endorsing it, as suggested by the governor.
For her part, Governor Garcia respects the comment of former governor Vicente de la Serna on her plan to take back the lots covered by Ordinance 93-1 on the socialized housing sites but she is still determined to push through with her plan.
The ordinance was passed during the time of de la Serna as governor from 1992 to 1995, and Garcia said it is “very clear” that the lots will be used as residential areas.
But now, these lots, especially in Barangay Luz, have been used for commercial purposes.
“I think the definition and delineation between residential and commercial is still very clear. Therefore, I am sure that former governor de la Serna will be the first to insist upon the terms of the ordinance, which very clearly specified that these lots be used as places of dwellings, not for commercial purposes,” she said.
Garcia also said that since she is now the governor of Cebu, she will take full responsibility for her actions.
“I have really, really tried in all that I have decided to balance between my heart and my mind for my constituents of the Province of Cebu, which include 47 towns and five cities but sadly not the Cebu City residents,” she said.
The Province-owned lots which are occupied by Cebu City residents are spread in 11 barangays.
Capitol will repossess the lots whose beneficiaries have failed to settle their obligations under the socialized housing scheme provided in Ordinance 93-1.
Luz residents are planning to seek the help of Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal so they can keep the lots they are occupying. They are also considering filing a case against the Provincial Government. (LCR/MBG)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 18, 2006 issue)
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