City wants own accounting of debt to Rallos lot heirs

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama has instructed Cebu City Treasurer Ofelia Oliva to make her own computation as to how much the city owes the heirs of the late Fr. Vicente Rallos whose lot has been used by the city as a road since 1963.

According to Rama the P224.5 million that the Rallos heirs had demanded from the city is not yet a court-recognized or court-approved computation.

“I have instructed the city treasurer to make her own computations considering past payments made. In addition, I also instructed the said office to verify if there are tax liabilities due on the part of the Ralloses,” said Rama.

The Supreme Court had already ruled with finality in the case and ordered the Cebu City government to pay the Ralloses the just compensation of the 4,654 square-meter lot at P9,500 per square meter and 12 percent interest per annum since in 2001.

“The demand from the lawyers of the Ralloses and the advice from various Cebu City officials to accordingly pay and settle the court judgment had been given utmost consideration and circumspection considering that we are dealing with public funds,” Rama added.

The mayor explained that there are a lot of questions that he wants answered first like how this case progressed and how it was handled by the city lawyers then and now. Rama also directed City Legal Officer Joseph Bernaldez to coordinate with City Administrator Jose Mari Poblete to conduct a judicial audit on the case to determine its chronology and how it was handled.

“The city will continue to explore all possibilities available, where at the end the interest of the city is aptly protected,” the mayor said.

Councilor Edgardo Labella, who heads the City Council’s committee on laws, is worried because the obligation of the city increases by almost P1 million every month while it remains unpaid.   - (THE FREEMAN)