When he was RDC-7 chairman: Bus terminal was Mayor Tom's idea

CEBU, Philippines - The Provincial government yesterday reminded Mayor Tomas Osmeña that the Cebu South Bus Terminal (CSBT) that he wants closed was his idea while he was the Regional Development Council (RDC) 7 chief, said Capitol Consultant Rory Jon Sepulveda.

 “With their threats of closure, taxes… my advice is (they have to) study everything and go ahead. Ayaw dasmag derecho. Ang statement nila karon murag wa sila kabalo. As if gitukod ni nga kami ray gabuot-buot,” said Sepulveda.

 Sepulveda maintained that it was Osmeña who worked hard that the project would be implemented.

 Also, he claimed that the Cebu City government has knowledge of the project and that it even approved an ordinance that all buses must use the terminal.

 The province would not have assumed the operations and maintenance of the project if the city would not give that commitment, Sepulveda said.

 “I’m showing you this (a November 2002 report of the Metro Cebu Development Project). Because ang taga City, apparently ila ba ning gipugos paglimot. And that the province is not undertaking this as a business,” he said.

 Sepulveda said that compared to the North Bus Terminal, which was turned over to the Cebu City government, which then handed it over to a cooperative to manage, the CSBT is well managed and the loan to build was paid earlier than scheduled.

He said that when the national government through the RDC turned over the project to the Capitol in February 1993, thereby assuming the burden of paying the P23.6 million loan, it only took the province a few years to pay it off saving on interest payments.

 During the initial years, he said, the province incurred losses on the terminal.

 In 2001, it decided to reconstruct the loan and paid P19 million in full to save on interest, he added.

 The following years, he said, the terminal was already showing some earnings for the province.

 He explained that the CSBT was “Package 1” of Japan’s “Overseas Development Assistance,” and the North Bus Terminal was “Package 2,” while the south road was part of the “Package 3.”

If “Package 1” was not successful, it would not be possible for ODA to assist and finance anymore projects with the RDC. SRP, he claimed, is also an ODA-assisted project.

 With regards to taxing the CSBT, Sepulveda asked if the NBT is paying business taxes to the city government.

 If Cebu City is asking the CSBT to pay business tax to it, the city government should check its lawyers first before saying such a thing, he said.

 Sepulveda explained that the local government units “have no taxing capacity,” as it is the national government that has the right to tax, or that delegates it to the LGU, through the Local Government Code.

 “Are they trying to say they can regulate? Can the spring rise above its source?” he asked.

 As to the P5-terminal fee issue, he explained that it was supposed to be P10 as suggested during the January meeting of the Economic Enterprising Council, but he proposed that they would make it P5 so that everyone could afford it.

The consultant said that the city should also take notice of the more than P1,000 fee for its towing services which he described as “granted extortion”

Terminal For Mini Buses

   The Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (CITOM) yesterday decided to allow the mini-bus operators to use part of the South Road Properties as their temporary terminal and Mayor Osmeña does object.

Julieto N. Flores, president of the Cebu South Mini-Bus Operators Association, had sought the help of the city officials because they don’t like to use the CSBT anymore.

Councilor Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem, chairman of the Committee on Transportation of the Cebu City Council, said Flores had claimed that their buses are no longer allowed to enter the Capitol-run south bus terminal.

During the CITOM Board meeting yesterday, the members of the traffic policy-making body of Cebu City have decided to recommend that the mini buses shall be allowed to use a portion of the SRP near the Mambaling access road. —/NLQ   (FREEMAN NEWS)