Rama vetoes ordinance vs CitiCenter demolition

CEBU, Philippines - Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama has vetoed the ordinance seeking to stop the demolition of CitiCenter.

In a letter dated February 13, Rama told Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young that the ordinance “is so crafted by the council as to deliberately encroach, invade and intrude the power of the mayor and unduly abrogate upon themselves the executive function thereby compromising the power and authority of this office.”

Rama described the City Ordinance No. 2351 (An Ordinance Imposing a Moratorium on Demolition in the CitiCenter Complex) as an “affront to the doctrine of separation of power between the executive and the legislative.”

While acknowledging the mayor’s authority to veto the ordinance, Councilor Alvin Dizon, author of the ordinance, said the council will act accordingly after receiving a copy of the veto letter. He reminded that the mayor is not above the law.

Dizon, in a text message sent to The Freeman, argued that the mayor has not fully complied with the provisions of RA 7179 (Urban Development and Housing Act) calling the supposed public consultation a “token,” where the mayor did all the talking.

“The people affected were not heard. No consideration was afforded to the real sentiments of the poor families currently living in the CitiCenter Complex,” the councilor said.

The veto stated that “occupants of the center, some of whom have engaged in business thereat have never been paying rentals to the city for so long a time” and that illegal activities have been monitored becoming a threat to public safety.

“It was expected. Uto-uto ang mayor,” Young told The Freeman. (FREEMAN)