Friday, January 11, 2008 Guv to emphasize value on lot swap
CAPITOL is still open to the lot swap deal with the Cebu City Government, but with one condition.
“I have never said that my doors are closed for a lot swap renegotiation as long as it is on a value for value basis,” Garcia told reporters yesterday.
Provincial Board (PB) Member Juan Bolo and Capitol consultant on information and revenue generation Rory Jon Sepulveda appeared before the Cebu City Council last Wednesday during its session.
Sepulveda said the plan of the City Government to convert the Capitol lots into a socialized housing zone would in effect be taking away from the Province its properties.
Bolo and Sepulveda suggested that instead of going through the legalities of rezoning, it is better to go back to the negotiation table for the land swap deal.
The City and the Province have initially agreed to swap lots to give security to city residents occupying the Province-owned lots.
But the deal was aborted after Vice Mayor Michael Rama gave his “dawat-limpyo” comment.
Because of it, the Province reevaluated the deal and ended with the PB passing a resolution that the deal must be on a value-for-value basis.
“There’s no big deal about us going back to the negotiation table but I am bound by this (value-for-value) resolution and of course, over and above any consideration, I’ll always push for the interest of the Province because that is what the people elected me for and that is what the people trust me for,” Garcia said.
She also revealed that after they decided to go value-for-value on the deal, somebody from the City Government told her brother, Rep. Pablo John Garcia, that they will hold the clearances for the Province’s Ciudad project to force the governor to resume the deal based on the original terms.
“My brother warned them. Don’t ever think that you can make the governor buckle down to that because she will always protect the interest of the Province regardless of personal affiliations or relationships,” Garcia said.
Until now, the Ciudad project in Banilad has not moved forward for lack of necessary permits.
But Garcia clarified reports that the conflict has become personal between her and Mayor Tomas Osmeña.
“When I meet Mayor Tommy, I always make the first move. I always greet him. If he makes decision as chief executive, I respect it basta iya na nga area of concern. I don’t see why many people play up this whole thing as though sila mismo ang niapil sa away although they really want nga moapil gyud sila. They think it’s a personal thing. It is not. We both are chief executives bound by our positions and our obligations which the positions entail,” she said. (MBG)
