Friday, April 11, 2008 Ombud mediates in Mandaue feud
OMBUDSMAN Director Virginia Palanca-Santiago invited Mandaue City officials and the City Council to a conference yesterday to discuss the demolition of the public plaza in front of City Hall.
Mandaue Mayor Jonas Cortes called it “restoration” while Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna and the councilors called it “demolition.”
Santiago wants to meet them again, said Fortuna.
Fortuna said Santiago also promised to talk with the Department of Budget Management regarding the salaries of legislative consultants, another issue between the city’s executive and legislative branches.
But opposition Councilor Victor Biaño has doubts. He said both parties don’t trust each other.
Still, he welcomed Santiago’s suggestion that the executive and legislative officials sit down and discuss the matter among themselves, “without the mayor’s lawyer officials.”
With Cortes yesterday were lawyers Briccio Boholst, city administrator; Omar Redula, city legal officer; and Francisco Amit, the mayor’s consultant on housing and urban development office.
Cortes said the closure of Mabini St. and one lane of Rizal St. was not authorized by an ordinance, so the action was illegal. The park was considered a nuisance in itself and its demolition did not require court order.
The streets were absorbed by the park when it was expanded during the term of Thadeo Ouano as mayor.
Fortuna and the opposition councilors, on the other hand, said millions of people’s money were lost when Cortes destroyed the park. Cortes should have asked clearance from the Commission on Audit or authority from the City Council.
Last year, the opposition-dominated City Council requested the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for assistance regarding the demolition of the plaza and park.
Demolition
In Oct. 1 last year, Deputy Ombudsman for the Visayas Pelagio Apostol asked Cortes to comment on a Council resolution stopping the demolition.
Yesterday’s conference with Santiago was a reconciliation, said Cortes’ counsel Francisco Amit. Biaño said it could be Santiago’s role “to solve (the matter) extra-
judicially before proceeding with a court action.”
But Amit asked, “What is there to stop when the action was already completed?” He said Santiago might just want to clarify issues about the park.
Records
But Biaño found Santiago not well versed of the complaint they filed last year, even if they had attached voluminous records to it.
“Apparently she did not read it as her statements were based on newspaper accounts,” Biaño told Sun.Star Cebu.
But the conference yesterday has positive results, Biaño said.
“At least the conference gave Santiago a clear impression of what kind of officials the city has,” he said.
This is not the first time Santiago interceded in a conflict in Mandaue City. She also mediated between Cortes and officials of Mandaue City College who refused to comply with his order.
But nothing happened. The college has elected its new set of board of trusties apart from the mayor’s own board. (OCP)
