BY asking the court to nullify the resolutions on the P18-billion Kawit Project and the proposed Binaliw landfill project, Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña believes the opposition is committing “political suicide.”
“I would like to thank the following for helping Team Suyop commit political suicide by trying at all costs to destroy 5,000 (jobs) and the single largest investment project in the history of Cebu: (Vice Mayor) Labella, Edgar; (Councilors) Rama, Edu; Alcover, Jun; Pesquera, Joy; Espina, Erik; Daluz, Joey; Osmeña, Junjun; Garganera, Joel; Garcia, Raymond,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.
SunStar Cebu tried to reach Labella for comment, but he was not available as of press time.
The eight opposition councilors filed a civil case for declaration of nullity and asked for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction late last Friday, supposedly in time for the scheduled signing of the joint venture agreement (JVA) between the City and Universal Hotels and Resorts Inc. (UHRI).
They asked the court to declare void Council Resolutions No. 14-0183-2018 and 14-0184-2018 dated Aug. 8, 2018 because these are “irregular and patently unlawful.”
The case also seeks to prevent the City from entering into the JVA with UHRI and from approving the application for the special use of a proposed central material facility and landfill in Binaliw.
But last Friday and despite the case filed against it, Osmeña and officials of UHRI signed the JVA to develop Kawit Island in the South Road Properties.
The signing signals the start of the development of an integrated resort project.
Earlier, Busay Barangay Councilor Amilo Lopez also filed a petition for injunction, saying the joint venture with UHRI is grossly disadvantageous to the City Government.
Osmeña, though, believes that the opposition is just trying to cling to what it can to keep the tables at the City Council from fully turning in favor of the administration.
“Team Suyop refused to deliberate in the Council, walking out of the session. They filed for and failed to get a temporary restraining order. Now, in utter desperation, they have sued,” he said.
In their case, the opposition councilors said that the majority bloc had no basis to convene a session where they passed the two questioned resolutions.
They added that the minutes of the session last Aug. 7 revealed that the session had already adjourned and any resolution approved after it is illegal.
The majority bloc, though, stood pat on their statement that the proceedings were valid because it was just a continuation of their regular session.
The majority bloc councilors also said that Labella could not have adjourned the session as there were still pending discussions.
But despite the filing of a case in court, Osmeña maintained that the JVA underwent all the necessary procedures.
“Let them (file case). I have nothing to hide. This deal was subject to publication and Swiss Challenge for months. No one else came forward with a better offer. Isla dela Victoria will survive any kind of scrutiny. But a reminder lang for 2019: Isla dela Victoria is the single largest investment in the history of Cebu. I can do things like this DESPITE Team Suyop. Imagine what I can do WITHOUT Team Suyop,” he said.