Wednesday, September 03, 2008 Court decision ‘best’ for City, Province
MAYOR Tomas Osmeña is not bothered that the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) has withdrawn the authority it gave to the Cebu City Zoo to continue using a Capitol-owned property in Barangay Kalunasan.
He said it is to the best interest of both Capitol and City Hall if the matter is brought to court.
“It’s expected, it does not bother me. What really bothers me are the 93-1 occupants. That is why I was willing to give back the zoo (lot)… They want to get the CCMC (Cebu City Medical Center), go ahead (before the land-swap deal falling out),” the mayor said.
Over 5,000 Cebu City residents squatting on Capitol properties in the city are in danger of being evicted after they failed to fulfill their obligations under Capitol’s 93-1 ordinance.
There was a plan to exchange City-owned lots with the occupied properties. But a comment made by the City Council spoiled the negotiations and started a word war between Osmeña and Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.
After last year’s falling out with city officials, Garcia threatened to take back the Kalunasan lot.
On Oct. 14, 1963, the Provincial Government donated 228,910 square meters of land to the Boy Scout of the Philippines for its campsite and training center.
Seven hectares, specifically a gully in the area, were excluded from BSP’s uses because the parcel was set aside for the zoo, which was at the Fort San Pedro that time.
In 1971, the zoo was managed by Lamplighters World Peace Mission (Phils.) Inc. headed by the late Elueterio Tropa. When Tropa died, City Hall took over management of the zoo.
Last June, Capitol officials and BSP National President and Makati Mayor Jejomar Binay signed a memorandum of understanding with the Capitol for the turnover of the BSP campsite.
In its session last Monday, the PB terminated the authority of the zoo to use the lot.
“I’m not going to lie down and surrender. They have to get a court order as far as I know,” Osmeña told a press conference yesterday.
He said the Capitol is bound to be disappointed if it is thinking of building a structure on the lot.
“It is zoned as open space, and only good as a (site for a) zoo. It was zoned long before the quarrel (between the City and the Capitol),” he said. (RHM)
