City to pay P13M for lot affected by SRP

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Tomas Osmeña has successfully convinced the members of the Cebu City Council headed by Vice Mayor Michael Rama to pay businessman Roque Ting P13.5 million for his half-hectare lot that was affected by the South Reclamation Project 10 years ago.

South district councilor Jose Daluz III, who heads the Committee on Budget and Finance of the city council, said they discussed the matter together with the mayor who invited them for a gathering in his house in barangay Guadalupe the other night.

The mayor explained to the city legislators that his intention of paying Ting is to save Rama this problem if ever he is elected mayor next year.

Ting has reportedly offered that he is willing to settle the case at P13.5 million, instead of the P37,702,500 that was awarded to him by the Regional Trial Court, if the city will no longer appeal the decision of the RTC.

But Daluz said the inclusion of the P13.5 million in the P200-million sixth supplemental budget of the city will still be deliberated on by the city legislators during the scheduled budget hearing today.

Daluz said what was agreed in their meeting with the mayor was that it will be specified in the documents that the city will only pay for the “dry land” and not portions of Ting’s property that was already submerged even before the start of the reclamation project.

Osmeña earlier said he does not want to pass on the P60 million liability to Rama, which is why he wants to settle this issue while it is still his term.

He is afraid that if the city will appeal the decision of the court until it reaches the Supreme Court and still loses the case. If so, the city will have to pay more because of the interest and other penalties.

Ting was able to present before RTC judge Eric Menchavez the titles of the lot that was issued by the Land Registration Authority, an agency under the Department of Justice, that proves his ownership of the property. — Rene U. Borromeo/BRP (THE FREEMAN)