Council ok's resumption restoration of land-swap talks

The land-swap proposed deal between the provincial and city governments is now back officially to the negotiation table.

The city council yesterday spent only five minutes to approve the resolution calling for the renewal of the land-swap proposal, and for the deletion of the minutes of session records containing offensive statements that caused its cancellation sometime in March.

Councilor Nestor Archival Sr. was the proponent of the new resolution, which the council approved by majority vote.

Councilor Hilario Davide III abstained from the voting-explaining that his mother-in-law is one of the occupants in the provincial property-while councilors Raul Alcoseba, Christopher Alix and Glena Bontuyan were absent.

The approved resolution deleted from the minutes of the council sessions the previously publicized "reckless comment" from Vice Mayor Michael Rama's privilege speech questioning the land-swap and accusing the province of unfair advantage.

Governor Gwen Garcia, offended with the council's tirades against the proposal, called off negotiations on the matter since then.

With the latest change of tack from the council, Garcia told The Freeman last night said she has yet to read the whole text of the approved resolution although she seemed interested about it.

"That's interesting. I will be very interested in reading their approved resolution," she said, raising new light over the deal involving Capitol's properties-in city barangays under Provincial Board Ordinance 93-1-and the city's prime lot at the north reclamation area.

The province's properties, with a total area of 496,969 square meters, are located in barangays Luz, Mabolo, Lorega San Miguel, Kasambagan, Camputhaw, Apas, Capitol Site, Lahug, Busay, Kalunasan and Tejero.

There are 4,137 urban poor families occupying these properties that were given the chance, under PB Ordinance 93-1, to own the parcel they respectively occupied.

Ordinance 93-1, approved in 1993, allowed these occupants to buy the lots in monthly amortization over a period of five years, only until 1998, without interest. This was extended until May 31, 2004. The PB approved another extension but Gwen vetoed it.

Records showed that only 1,467 families have paid in full the lots they occupied. The solution raised to avoid the eviction of the remaining 2,900 families was the land swap proposal. - Garry B. Lao