To move out from city-lot: LTO-7 asks for one month extension

CEBU, Philippines - The Land Transportation Office has asked the Cebu City government to give it one more month to vacate its office, which is located in a city-owned property along N. Bacalso Avenue.

Yesterday, three LTO officials from Manila dropped by to speak with City Hall administrator Lucille Mercado to ask the latter to give them one more month while they are finalizing the lease details for their new office.

The LTO officials were identified as LTO assistant secretary Alfonso Tan, LTO administrative division chief Maribel Salazar and LTO officer-in-charge for intelligence and investigation division lawyer Mercy Jane Paras-Leynes.

Rama has appealed to LTO-7 to move out of the city-owned lot since he wants the space to be converted into a wellness complex. The lot is located within the vicinity of the Cebu City Medical Center

“It (their transfer) is long overdue. They have to understand that is long overdue… They should understand that (the property) is not theirs. That’s ours,” Rama told reporters yesterday.

But Mercado said they will recommend to the mayor to give LTO-7 another month.

Rama said he wants to meet personally the LTO-7 officials.

“…and they have to come (to see me.) I would like to look at their eyes whether they are serious. I want to feel whether their body language confirm to what they are going to do,” he said.

LEASE OFFER

Mercado said the Cebu-based Philippine Postal Corporation recently submitted a lease offer to LTO-7, in which the latter expressed interest.

LTO-7 informed PPC that it intends to use the vacant spaces on the ground and second floors of the Cebu Central Post Office at Pier 1.

“They will be transferring office there (at the post office, at the back of Fort San Pedro). They will have to prepare for the building’s repair and cabling for internet connectivity… They are very willing to move. They are just asking for a little time to be ready for the office where they will have to transfer,” Mercado said.

She added that LTO-7 said it will start moving to the PPC-owned property by November since it is still working on the possible lease agreement, renovation plans and other concerns.

LTO-7 director Arnel Tancinco said in a two-page letter to PPC dated September 28, that they hope to sit down with PPC executives for the drafting of the lease agreement between the two offices.

“The offices is in dire need of an adequate working area, if possible an additional area of at least three hundred square meters or more, adjacent to the counters in the ground floor… It would be very difficult in the said offices if the working area will be separated from our front line service officers who will be occupying the counters in the ground floor,” read the letter addressed to PPC Postal Area Director Atty. Raul Buensalida.

“…we will be more grateful if you could possibly find a way to add any available space aside from those you have already suggested particularly in the ground floor, in the second floor and possibly to include the covered area in the third floor (in the lease contract),” the letter read further.

DOUBLE PARKING PROHIBITED

Meanwhile, the Cebu City Traffic Office (CCTO) has barred double parking and overstaying of vehicles along the Fuente Rotunda.

During the CCTO meeting yesterday, the board unanimously resolved to prohibit the double parking and overstaying of vehicles, including the illegal use of hazard lines or blinkers.

“The second rightmost lane of the Fuente rotunda is supposed to be for loading or unloading only. Maximum time of stay is only three minutes otherwise, drivers will be apprehended for obstruction to traffic,” said CCTO executive director lawyer Rey Gealon.

CCTO will assign traffic enforcers starting Monday to supervise the area and apprehend drivers who will stay at the second right most lane for more than three minutes.

“This is to inform the public that on Monday, we’ll be in full force. Traffic enforcers will be deployed there round the clock and traffic citation tickets will be issued against the violators,” said Gealon. — May B. Miasco and Charlyne J. Calisang,USJR Intern/ATO (FREEMAN)