SC asks City Hall to comment on indirect contempt charges

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama and other Cebu City officials have been ordered by the Supreme Court to submit their comments about the case filed by the heirs of the late priest whose property in Barangay Sambag 2 is being used as public road.

Lucena Rallos, one of the heirs of Rev. Fr. Vicente Rallos, recently filed an indirect contempt charges against all Cebu City elected officials and the members of the City Legal Office for not complying with the court’s order to pay the family P133 million for the lot.

Rallos prayed that the High Tribunal would rule that the mayor and the rest of the respondents will be declared guilty for indirect contempt and they be meted with jail terms commensurate to their offense.

The case stemmed from the mayor’s continued refusal to pay the demanded amount for the lot despite of the court’s order.

The respondents had asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the indirect contempt charges filed against them, but the High Court – through Teresita Aquino Tuazon, the deputy division clerk of the SC’s Second Division - ordered the city officials to submit their comments.

Councilors Edgardo Labella and Jose Daluz III, both lawyers by profession, said that after the appellate court had issued a Writ of Preliminary Injunction that prohibits the garnishment of the city’s funds in banks and the auction of the city’s lots at the South Road Properties (SRP), it would also mean that the payment of the demanded amount is also not appropriate at the moment.

The mayor explained that he is not inclined to pay the huge amount to the Ralloses because there is a newly discovered court document that proved that the 4,654 square meters of road lot along Barangay Sambag II had been donated already to the city and there is no need for the city to pay for the property.

The document called “Convenio” or agreement was signed by the Ralloses before Court of First Instance (CFI) Judge Benito Natividad. What used to be CFI is now called Regional Trial Court (RTC).  (FREEMAN)