SIHAA plea for tax clemency referred to mayor's office

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council committee on laws, ordinances, public accountability and good government has referred to the office of the mayor the request for tax clemency of the Southern Island Alumni Association whose property has been levied for non payment of taxes.

Councilor Edgardo Labella, chairman of the committee, said the City Council has no jurisdiction over the matter. According to Labella, rationalizing tax assessment as requested by SIHAA is a power bestowed in the executive department.

 “This committee believes that the determination can be best performed by the appropriate offices under the Office of the Mayor – the Office of the City Treasurer, the City Assessor’s Office and the Office of the Building Official,” Labella said.

SIHAA thru lawyer Joselito Alo requested for clemency from the city government and asked for the rationalization of their property’s tax assessment. This after the city issued a notice of warrant of levy against its properties along Osmeña Boulevard because of unpaid real property taxes.

Labella said that the plea for clemency necessitates a determination of factual issues that only the Office of the Mayor has the authority to do it.

The SIHAA alleged that their property used to be part of the operation of the Southern Islands Hospital School of Nursing and that all the buildings that were erected by the school including the area now being used by the SIHAA have all been used for education purposes.

The city government has issued a notice of warrant of levy against Lot Nos. 533 and 534. The two lots are covered with tax declarations under the name of the Southern Island Hospital which is now known as the Don Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center.

SIHAA contended that there is a building on the said lots that could not be taxed by the local government because it has been declared as a heritage site. — (FREEMAN)