THE Cebu Port Authority (CPA) has reiterated its strong objection to the use and conversion of the Compania Maritima area in relation to a joint venture agreement between the Cebu City Government and Megawide Construction Corp. (Megawide).
The CPA noted that the property has been subject of litigation since July 2015 before the Cebu Regional Trial Court Branch 10.
The case is docketed as “Republic of the Philippines represented by the CPA vs. City of Cebu et al., Case No. CEB-41917 for Injunction with Quieting of Title.”
“Over the years, the CPA has respected the jurisdiction of the Honorable Court and maintained the status quo by allowing the City of Cebu to temporarily use a portion of CPA’s property as a parking lot for City Hall employees while the case is pending,” the CPA said in a letter to Cebu City Acting Mayor Michael Rama dated Nov. 3, 2021.
“Recent unlawful and concerted acts of the city and Megawide in converting CPA’s property without the latter’s consent and over its objection is deplorable, reprehensible and shows the total lack of prudence on the part of the City of Cebu,” the CPA further said.
Rama, for his part, questioned why the CPA is bringing up past issues when there is no more maritime activity conducted in the area.
“When you talk about CPA, can you tell me what are the activities in line with maritime right now in that area? There is none,” Rama said.
Asked whether the ongoing work in the area will be stopped, Rama said, “If there is no legal way to stop it, why should it be stopped?”
Construction activities in the Compania Maritima compound are currently going on as the area is being developed by Megawide into a new section of the modern Carbon market.
Cebu2World Development Inc., a subsidiary of Megawide Construction Corp., said they will defer to the local government unit to decide on the matter.