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Wednesday, April 13, 2005
Guv to Mayor Tomas: Open coast road
CEBU CITY -- Closing the Cebu South Coastal Road has affected people from the province's southern end, but is entirely within Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña's right to do so, a top Capitol official said.
But Governor Gwendolyn Garcia promised she will see Osmeña to voice out the concern of practically all towns in the south.
"I will take it upon my own to speak personally with Mayor Tommy at the most opportune time for both of us, in the hope that this situation may be resolved with the best interest of the greater majority," said Garcia.
The mayor is in Manila to work on the inclusion of a P1.5-billion tunnel of the coastal road in the second supplemental loan agreement with the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.
The National Economic and Development Authority is set to deliberate on the project Wednesday.
For his part, Vice Mayor Michael Rama welcomes Governor Garcia's plan to talk with Osmeña regarding the road closure.
"We will be happy, so we won't have to deal with all the complaints. It's much better if it can be solved locally. No more national intervention," Rama told Sun.Star Cebu Tuesday night.
Welfare clause
Garcia said she could only wish she could do something about the issue "officially" but she cannot, because the Cebu City Government is not under the jurisdiction of the Cebu Provincial Government.
"I am now voicing the concern of town mayors whose own constituency started to feel the negative impact of closing the South Coastal Road. I am the governor of the province and any complaint of any constituent will be given importance."
The governor admitted the road is a project of the National Government, but she said Osmeña has the right to close a national road under the general welfare clause of the Local Government Code.
The rift between Cebu City and Talisay City over ownership of a 53.44-hectare portion of the 295-hectare the South Reclamation Project (SRP), however, is best left to the President, said Garcia.
Talisay City Attorney Aurora Econg has asked Acting Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) Director Vicente Loot for advice regarding the blockade put up by the Cebu City police at the coastal road.
Stunned
Naga Mayor Ferdinand Chiong told Sun.Star he was among the many people "surprised by the sudden closure" last Friday.
The closure, he said, was like previous acts of Cebu City in closing the highway: without notice to the public.
"It's definitely an inconvenience to the public, and to think we are even very proud of that project," said Chiong.
"As an ordinary citizen, not as mayor, I will say that it is public property. The people are made to suffer because of a rift. I appeal to them to resolve the rift in a way that will leave out the public," he added.
In closing the road to the public, Mayor Osmeña cited the general welfare clause, which empowers local officials to act on what promotes the welfare of residents and the community.
Under this clause, the local government can temporarily supersede ownership and close the road to serve the residents' interest.
3 years
SRP manager Nigel Paul Villarete vowed he will not recommend opening the Cebu South Coastal Road to traffic until the tunnel is completed in three years.
"I don't know what's common sense to many people. The contractor of the viaduct and access ramp to the tunnel is now asphalting the area so there is no point in opening the coastal road," Villarete said.
He insisted that the City Government need not ask permission from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Project Management Office as its director, Nilo Pamaylaon, already knew about City Hall's move since March.
As to the City Government's lack of authority to close a national road, Villarete said, "When the City had the Sinulog last January and closed the coastal road, did we ask for permission from DPWH? When the Archbishop Reyes Ave. was closed to traffic last year for the construction of the flyover, who asked for permission from whom?"
With Talisay being the target of Osmeña's ire because of its claim over a portion of the SRP, Talisay City Attorney Econg sought Superintendent Loot's help.
Loot admitted that he does not know what to make of the situation, saying he will be forwarding Econg's letter to the Police Regional Office (PRO) 7.
Police work
Econg, in a letter to Loot, complained about Superintendent Pablo Labra II, whom Osmeña ordered to block the coastal road leading to Cebu City.
"Our role is to maintain peace and order. Since there are still questions on the territory, I think the CPPO should keep the status quo," Loot told reporters Tuesday.
Loot added that Labra could not be blamed for closing the road, saying he was just acting on Osmeña's orders.
Econg asked Loot for "advice on what steps to take considering Talisay City is within the CPPO's area of responsibility."
However, Loot said that with the dispute between Cebu and Talisay, territorial jurisdiction could not immediately be determined.
Talisay's claim has delayed the release of titles for SRP lots, putting in jeopardy Cebu City's development plan for the reclamation area, which cost about P6.3 billion in loans from the Japanese Government.
Security
Labra, for his part, cannot say for sure when it will be secure enough to reopen the coastal road, saying he still needs more men to protect SRP properties.
Currently, Labra only has eight men from the CIIB, four for every 24-hour shift. They are using two of the SRP police vehicles to patrol the SRP for 24 hours.
Ideally, they needed at least 28 men, or one platoon.
"We still have to check where we can get more men. We cannot just pull out cops from their current assignments because there are other concerns outside the SRP," Labra said.
Labra recommended to Osmeña the temporary closure of the coastal road until the security problem is addressed.
In his recommendation, Labra cited the loss of fixtures from the Sugbu building, electrical wires on the SRP bridge, squatters attempting to build shanties and the holes on the fence as among the reasons it should be closed. (JPM/MEA/GAC)
(April 13, 2005 issue)
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