Thursday, April 10, 2008 Capitol lot occupants to sue guv over titles
SOME 1,500 occupants of Capitol-owned lots are planning to file complaints against Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia for the alleged delay in the release of the deeds of sale of properties that they have already paid for in full.
Officers of the different homeowners’ associations met with Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday morning to discuss possible legal actions they can take against the Cebu Provincial Government.
They agreed to file a complaint either before the Office of the Ombudsman or the Housing and Land Use Regularity Board (HLURB), which has quasi-judicial powers over land use issues.
It was the HLURB that issued the Capitol’s license to sell lots to the beneficiaries of Provincial Ordinance 93-1, which authorized the sale of Province-owned lots to occupants.
“I told them that the way things are going, nothing is happening. So I said let’s discuss your options, and they said there are many of them who will file individual complaints against the governor with the Ombudsman,” Osmeña told reporters yesterday.
Ombudsman
“So I think Gwen will get the award for having the most number of cases in the Ombudsman’s office,” he said.
The mayor said many of the occupants have long paid for their lots, but up to this time the governor still has not signed the deeds of sale and has not given the land titles.
Luz, Cebu City Barangay Captain Nida Cabrera said those who have fully paid for their lots have been waiting for the deeds and the titles, which would make them legal occupants of Capitol-owned lots in the city.
“Tungod sa kadugay sa ilang paghuwat, nagkasabot mi ganina unsay options sa mga occupants. Up to now wala pa silay deed of sale and titles, dugay-dugay na sad nag-agwanta (They felt they have waited long enough, so we discussed the options available for the occupants. Up to now, they still do not have the deeds of sale and the land titles, and it is quite a long wait already) ” she said in an interview.
The aborted land swap agreement between the Capitol and City Hall led the Provincial Government to directly negotiate with the occupants.
But two years after Garcia canceled the exchange of Ordinance 93-1 properties with City Hall’s North Reclamation Area lot, the beneficiaries have not gotten any binding agreement with the Province.
“Anyway, I told them that whatever they decide to do, I will support them. They have every right to file a complaint. They still don’t have their titles so at this point, I don’t care what Capitol thinks of the move of the occupants,” said the mayor.
“And she wants to run for vice president, with such an anti-poor record?” he added. (LCR)
