Rama vows to expedite payment

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama yesterday assured to expedite the processing of the documents needed for the payment of a private property that the city government used as jogging lane beside the Fort San Pedro.

Rama said he will direct assistant city administrator Dominic Diño to speed up the processing of the required documents.

Rama also assured property owner Amelita Sola that he will comply with his promise that the city would shoulder the repair of her house which was damaged when City Hall personnel demolished a portion of it that was constructed within two meters from the wall of the old Spanish camp.

Sola earlier sent letters to the mayor to remind him of his promise because until now the City Hall carpenters failed to comply with the order of the mayor.

Rama said he would ask Dino why Sola’s house has not been repaired until now.

Sola said she started to worry after the City Hall workers had left the area leaving her house still not being repaired exposing her family to danger, particularly from the rain water.

“As you have so assured to me last June 11, 2012 that you are a mayor of your word and a public servant at that, we are now calling on that service and hope that you be so kindly reminded that my family here is at stake,” Sola said in her letter dated September 17.

The city will also purchase the 87 square meter of Sola’s property, which is situated adjacent to the Fort San Pedro.

Fort San Pedro is considered the oldest triangular bastion fort in the country that was built in 1738 to repel Muslim raiders. In turns, the Fort later served as a stronghold for Filipino revolutionaries. The Fort served as the nucleus of the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines.

Councilor Jose Daluz III has sponsored a resolution allowing the mayor to sign a contract with Sola for the purchase of a portion of her property that was affected by the demolition. The resolution is yet to be approved by the City Council.

Daluz asked for P2,039,500 but majority of the members of the council questioned the amount because the City Appraisal Team only pegged the value of the property at P15,000 per square meter.

The value of the property allegedly would not reach over P2 million amount that Daluz is asking. (FREEMAN)