THE Mandaue City Government will look into all City-owned lots, including those that are being rented out, to look for areas where it could build housing projects and relocation sites, among others.
It also discovered a questionable deal in which one of the tenants of a City-owned land also rented out the lot without the City’s approval.
A lot rented out to Katumanan Hardware in 2007 was approved by the Council, but it was found that the former also rented it out to a CENORE Hardware, which also rented it out to a hotel. All of the transactions went without the Council’s approval.
The lot, which is at the North Reclamation Area, has an area of 14.4 hectares.
Vice Mayor Carlo Fortuna said they have ordered the legal office to investigate the deal.
“There was this existing contract of the City over our property in North Reclamation. The original tenant is the Katumanan Hardware. Apparently, he assigned his lease rights to a corporation, which assignment did not have the approval of the City Council. What they only have was a signed document by former mayor Jonas Cortes, confirming to the assignment. This form of approval is very irregular,” Fortuna told the media.
The City’s contract with Katumanan Hardware ended on May 30 this year.
The City will seek accountability from concerned officials who allowed the transactions. Fe Marie D. Dumaboc, correspondent