Rallos case, Council wants P133M in SB

CEBU, Philippines - The Cebu City Council yesterday asked Mayor Michael Rama to allocate P133 million in his next supplemental budget for the settlement of the city’s obligation to the heirs of the late Rev. Fr. Vicente Rallos.

It was Councilor Augustus Pe Jr. who suggested that the city will set aside the amount so that the members of the City Council will not be included in the contempt charges filed by the Ralloses.

But Councilors Edgardo Labella, Jose Daluz III and Eduardo “Edu” Rama strongly objected to the move because it violates the order of the Court of Appeals.

The three are identified allies of the mayor.

Labella and Daluz, who are both lawyers, said since the appellate court had issued a writ of preliminary injunction that prohibits the garnishment of the city’s funds in the banks and the auction of the city’s lots at the South Road Properties (SRP), it means that paying the amount that the Ralloses are claiming is also not appropriate.

But Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young decided to let the councilors vote on the matter.

Only Labella, Daluz and Rama voted against it while the 15 other legislators, including Councilor Ronald Cuenco who is one of Rama’s allies, voted in favor of Pe’s suggestion.

The members of the City Council were included in the contempt charges filed against Rama and 10 city lawyers before the Supreme Court three weeks ago.

Rama insisted that he will not pay the amount to the Ralloses because a court document that the city retrieved proved that the 4,654 square meters of road lot in Barangay Sambag II had been donated to the city.

The document called “Convenio” or agreement was signed by the Ralloses before Court of First Instance (CFI) Judge Benito Natividad.

The CFI is now called Regional Trial Court (RTC).

It is stated in the “convenio” that the road lot will be donated to the City of Cebu. If the city will not accept the donation, the road will remain owned by the Ralloses and still it will be for public use. — (FREEMAN)