Friday, May 16, 2008
‘City will benefit from SRP sale’
CEBU City Mayor Tomas Osmeña reiterated yesterday his assurance that something “good” will come out of the negotiations for the sale of the South Road Properties (SRP) this year.
This, as he flogged Tinago Barangay Councilor Joel Garganera for his comments, which the mayor said is part of the former Tinago barangay captain’s thrust to destroy the City.
Garganera earlier said that as early as last year, the mayor had been talking about selling the SRP so the City Government could gain millions in revenues, “but up to now, nobody has bought anything.”
Case
Last year, Garganera filed a special civil case on the SRP, asking the Regional Trial Court to stop Osmeña, the City Council, the Cebu Investments Promotions Center and the Register of Deeds from marketing, selling, disposing of or leasing the SRP.
“He’s not my boss. The people are my boss. I said I will follow the process. I’m not under pressure just because Garganera says so….He’s blind anyway (to the benefits the SRP will bring),” the mayor said.
“He should be happy (that it seems) there are no investors because the BOPK (Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan) will lose votes. So what is he complaining about?” he added.
On the interest investors have shown on the SRP, the mayor said he is “not (yet) at liberty to discuss this in public.”
Priorities
Garganera had said that because of loan payments for the SRP, other important operations, activities and projects of the City Government were not realized.
He said this after learning that 80 percent of the City’s P345- million first supplemental budget this year is intended for the SRP loan.
Garganera said the mayor has painted “a rosy, bright picture” about the SRP since 1997, but no one has bought parcels of the 295-hectare property yet.
But Osmeña told a press conference yesterday that Cebuanos should trust him when he said that “we will see something definite this year.”
The mayor has previously disclosed to the media the names of the companies that showed interest in investing in the SRP. But after the owners requested for confidentiality, he refrained from discussing details of the negotiations. (RHM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (May 16, 2008 issue)
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