Judge asks Brgy. Luz homeowners to comment on City Hall's motion

CEBU, Philippines - Demolition at Barangay Luz, Cebu City has been stalled some more.

Judge Ramon Daomilas of Regional Trial Court Branch 11 ordered the homeowners’ association to file their comment on the urgent motion filed by the Cebu City Government.

Earlier, the city lawyers asked the court to hold in abeyance the implementation of the order of the writ of demolition of 29 houses after they have to look for another relocation site.

The City initially thought of Barangay Budlaan but this was set aside because of the construction of the Colon-Cebu 138 KV Transmission Line Project of the National Grid Corporation.

Mabuhay Homeowners Association President Diosdada Martinez expressed his opposition to the city’s urgent motion, claiming they cannot wait any longer.

“It is not fair for us that they will continue to live in the area without paying their taxes for almost 20 years now,” Martinez said in Cebuano.

Martinez added that they paid P275,000 for taxes for year 1994 to 2012.

She also opposed the resolution passed and approved by the Local Housing Board requesting the City Counsel to give Mayor Michael Rama an authority to negotiate with them for the purchase of the lot occupied by the 29 families.

“What will happen if the city government will be able to purchase the lot…we won’t have peace of mind,” she said.

In their urgent motion, the city lawyers said once the City Government will be successful in buying the said property, there would be no need to displace the 29 families.

However, Martinez said if the City Government will purchase the lot, the socialized housing program of the city will be useless.

“So okay ra diay di mi mubayad sa tax kay ang city ra diay mobayad,” she said.

In fact, Martinez said earlier that they offered the 29 families to join their association but their offer was rejected.

Meanwhile, Daomilas last Friday asked the representative from Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) if there is relocation site for the affected families, the latter said there was in Inayawan but they still have to process the requirements for the purchase.

With that, Daomilas said the DWUP has no luxury of time.

“We see their predicament but we cannot delay… once the PNP will approve the request for assistance the court will implement the demolition,” Daomilas said. — (FREEMAN)