Rama sued over demolition order

CEBU, Philippines - A resident of Cebu City has sued Mayor Michael Rama and Raquel Arce, the chief of the city’s Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement (Probe) team, for allegedly ordering the complainant’s house demolished. 

In her civil complaint, Myla Quintanilla of Parian, Cebu City argued that the lot where her house stands belongs to the Archdiocese of Cebu and not to the government.

She asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) and a writ of preliminary injunction to stop Rama and Arce from implementing the demolition order.

Quintanilla alleged that former mayor Tomas Osmeña also threatened to demolish her house in the past, but the same did not materialize owing to a Supreme Court decision that states the property where her house stands belongs to the Catholic Church and not to the government.

Quintanilla’s house is built on Lot 378, a 40-square-meter property in Barangay Parian, adjacent to the fire station.

She claimed that she is staying in the property legally by virtue of a Memorandum of Agreement she signed with the Archdiocese of Cebu, which was why she was surprised to receive a final notice of demand dated March 21 from Rama for her to vacate the property.

Rama allegedly insisted that the property belongs to the government and that the city would demolish her house after the Christmas season should she fail to vacate the lot. –/JMO (FREEMAN)