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Monday, January 14, 2008
City mayor asks PB to approve deal
CEBU CITY -- Mayor Tomas Osmeña challenged last Sunday the Provincial Board (PB) to authorize the governor to sign the land swapping agreement, if the Capitol officials’ statements that the lot swap deal is “alive” are true.
Osmeña said the Cebu City Council already authorized him to enter into a land swap agreement with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, but the PB did not give the governor authority to do the same.
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In an interview with reporters, he said there is no more need to go back to the negotiating table as suggested by a PB member since he has already reached an agreement with Garcia.
“That’s a lot of crap. They’re the ones who did not authorize the governor when she and I have already reached an agreement, and now it’s my fault? Why are they putting the blame on me as if I’m the one bickering with the governor? The deal is now in the square of the PB,” Osmeña said.
“This is pure and simple grandstanding. They should not pass the buck to us... There is no discussion needed between the governor and me because we had an agreement but the PB did not give her authority to sign. So just let her sign the deal then it’s done,” he continued.
PB Member Juan Bolo called on the council last Wednesday to help convince the mayor to resume talks with the governor on the land swap deal.
He said this will address the problem of Cebu City constituents residing on Capitol-owned lots swiftly, rather than the council’s proceeding with the proposed ordinance rezoning all provincial properties into a socialized housing zone.
Rezoning
The proposed measure is now pending with the City Council.
During the public hearing on the ordinance last Wednesday, Bolo and Capitol consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda said there is no need to rezone the properties because the land swap is still alive.
“Before they said the lot swap is dead and they’ll just negotiate directly with the lot owners. But now they’re saying it’s alive? Can they make up their mind already whether Frankenstein is dead or alive?” said the mayor.
After almost a year of negotiations, Mayor Osmeña and Governor Garcia agreed in 2006 to swap Capitol-owned lots in 11 barangays with a City-owned property at the north reclamation area.
But after a statement coming from the City Council upset the PB and the governor herself, the board did not give Garcia authority to enter into a deal with the City Government.
‘Stunt’
“I’m beginning to think this is just a publicity stunt but certainly not by me. We worked on this very quietly. A deal was made already so there’s nothing to discuss, we only need to sign that deal,” Osmeña added.
The Provincial Government, however, denies any “publicity stunt” was afoot to blame Mayor Osmeña for the botched land swap deal.
“It’s not a publicity stunt because we were invited to a public hearing,” said Sepulveda, a lawyer who is the Capitol’s consultant on information and revenue generation.
He said that he and PB Member Bolo, representing the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, were merely invited to the Cebu City Council’s public hearing on a proposed rezoning of the Capitol’s lots as a socialized housing site.
Bolo, said Sepulveda, was candid enough to say that the proposed rezoning would not have come up if the land swap deal had succeeded.
“I am in no position to say that the deal is dead or will continue...but it has always been there,” Sepulveda told Sun.Star Cebu in a phone interview Sunday.
Same aims
“But as far as the Office of the Governor is concerned, the deal would have to be value for value,” clarified Sepulveda.
Rest assured, the lawyer said, the intention is as it is: to make sure that concerns of residents in the Province-owned lots are considered.
“Unta kung ang pulong ang atong basihan pareho man og tumong. (Going by our pronouncements, we have the same aims.) Let’s start from there,” said Sepulveda.
But if Cebu City insists on rezoning the area, then the Province might have to seek legal intervention.
“It’s akin to taking a property without justification. If they think they are correct then we might avail ourselves of legal remedies,” said Sepulveda. LCR/With JGA
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pampanga. (January 14, 2008 issue)
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