CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama will not stop negotiating with prospective buyers of the South Road Property (SRP) lots even after the passage of an ordinance that prohibits any person or employee of the City Hall including the mayor from selling or marketing the SRP without approval of the council.
Rama criticized the City Council for approving the “abusive” legislation because the lawyer-councilors, particularly Councilor Sisinio Andales, failed to do their duty to see to it that any questionable provisions in a proposed legislative measure can be corrected.
“I don’t understand that ordinance. Is that stupidity? Are they trying to please someone?” Rama said.
Rama said he will veto the ordinance and he is also considering other remedies although he refused to give details.
“I do not want to enumerate my legal remedies right now because I want to put it all together,” Rama said.
Rama questioned the passage of the ordinance as it was not subjected to a public hearing.
But Councilor Noel Eleuterio Wenceslao, a member of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK), explained that since the ordinance does not prescribe fines or penalty, there is no need for it to be submitted to a public hearing.
But Rama insisted that the members of the City Council do not own the city and the SRP, but the people. Therefore, they must be consulted.
On the other hand, Rep. Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City South) denied he ordered the City Council to pass the ordinance, but admitted that he recommended it.
“The credit is to the council. I don’t dictate them. I just told them it is very important. To me it is necessary,” Osmeña said.
Osmeña said that the ordinance is to remind Rama that “he is not the King.”
“To remind Mr. Rama he has to follow the law, he’s not the law,” Osmeña said.
Osmeña said Rama thinks he owns the SRP by selling it according to his whims.
“He’s desperate. He will use the sale because he has nothing left to show the people,” Osmeña said.
The congressman said that they will not stop Rama from talking to potential investors.
“We will not take his freedom of speech. But we’re telling the world that he is not authorized to sell,” Osmeña said.
His wife, committee on budget and finance chairman Margarita “Margot” Osmeña clarified that the council did not prohibit the sale of property, but only provided specific guidelines in selling and marketing the property.
“We just provided the guidelines. Did they read it? It doesn’t say we are forbidding the sale of SRP,” Margot said. (FREEMAN)