Navarro enters fray, to sue city dads, too

CEBU, Philippines - Punta Princesa, Cebu City Barangay Captain Jose Navarro is also contemplating of filing charges against 14 Cebu City Council members before the Ombudsman for the Visayas for graft.

Like his ally Mayor Michael Rama, he is questioning why the council approved an ordinance that authorized a private entity to manage the covered court in sitio Manggahan, Punta Princesa that was built using public funds.

Rama announced on Friday that he is suing the 14 Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan (BOPK) city councilors, who composed the majority of the city council, for passing the ordinance.

He said he wants the courts to decide on who has authority to manage the covered court, which the city council, in its session last Wednesday, vested on the Punta Princesa Manggahan Homeowners Association, Inc. (PPMHAI).

In a telephone interview, Navarro told The FREEMAN yesterday that the Department of Public Works and Highways, which built the covered court, have sent a letter turning it over to Rama after it was finished.

He said that based on existing laws, the mayor is solely accountable for all government properties, including the disputed covered court.

He accused the BOPK councilors of kowtowing to their amo (boss), former mayor and former south district congressman Tomas Osmeña, whom Rama defeated in the elections last May.

"Dili man na mahimo nga ang butang sa gobyerno, pribado ang modumala. Kung di ko mo-insister , kami say madaot. (It cannot be that a government property would be run by a private entity. If I would not insist on handing over control of the covered court to the city, we would be in trouble)," he said.

City Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos had said that the ordinance violates Section 375 paragraph B of RA 7160 (Local Government Code) that "provides strictly, unconditionally and unequivocally that buildings and other physical structures shall be under the accountability and responsibility of the mayor."

She also cited a portion of  the same law that states that the "Sangguniang Barangay shall regulate the use of multi-purpose hall, multi-purpose pavements, grain or copra dryers, patios and other post-harvest facilities; barangay waterworks, parking areas or other similar facilities constructed with government funds within the jurisdiction of the barangay."

If this would be the case, control of the covered court should have been handed to Navarro, a vocal critic of Osmeña.

Last Wednesday, how-ever, voting 14 against four, the city council approved City Councilors Gerardo Carillo and Eugenio Gabuya's ordinance.

The approval means that PPMHOAI president Alejandro Tabelino would be appointed as caretaker or administrator of the covered court, in accordance to the wishes of Osmeña.

The homeowners had argued that the covered court was built using P2 million from then congressman Osmeña's Priority Development Assistance Fund.

Navarro, though, said he cannot just stand and watch what is happening in his barangay; else, he might be held responsible if things go wrong.

He believes that what the council did was tantamount to a violation of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.

" Naa na sa mayor kung unsay iyang buhaton, basta kami amoa ning buhaton. (It is up to the mayor what he would do on his end. For us in the Punta Princesa barangay council, we are bringing this to before the Ombudsman)," Navarro said. —/RHM (FREEMAN)