Council wants to keep hands off: CBRT lots ‘overpriced’ - Pesquera

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Council has deferred its approval of the purchase of three resettlement lots for the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT), as its members continue to have concerns over the purchase.

Despite forming an ad hoc committee to look into the issues raised on the acquisition of the lots and the body endorsing it, city councilors are refusing to be made part of the purchase of the properties.

The lots are meant for the 57 families who would be displaced by the implementation of Packages 2 and 3 of the CBRT, which City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera said is “overpriced”.

This came after the City Council tackled during its session last Wednesday, the ad hoc committee’s report and recommendation on the purchase of three lots as part of the CBRT Resettlement Action Plan (RAP).

The City Council already approved the RAP, but continue to have reservations on the three resettlement lots.

The Council members have expressed skepticism about granting approval, questioning their involvement in the purchase, given that the lots will be registered anyway under the National Housing Authority’s (NHA) name and not the City’s.

Last Wednesday, City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco moved for the approval of the RAP, following the endorsement of the ad hoc committee, which recommended approval.

However, during the discussion, City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera manifested that although the City Council will take part in approving the RAP, it should not be involved in the purchase of the resettlement sites.

“Because one, as manifested before by member Archival, the DOTr (Department of Transportation) already approved this project. And second, in the documents, nothing would…(show) that the property will go to the city government,” she said.

Instead, Pesquera said, it was indicated in the documents attached to the RAP that the resettlement sites will be placed under NHA ownership.

Therefore, she said, there is no need for the City Council to approve the purchase of the three resettlement sites since the city will not have any control over them.

“I believe that what they are trying to do…(is) they want the City Council to take part of this, and that whatever the irregularities (in the purchase) the council members will also be liable for them,” Pesquera said.

City Councilor Nestor Archival Sr., said that the RAP was already approved by the DOTr last 2021, as the agency is the one that would fund the lot purchase.

He, however, said that the City Council would take part in the approval of the RAP since the 57 families who will be displaced and will benefit from it are from Cebu City.

He clarified that the RAP has already been approved, and what is left to tackle is the relocation sites, whose proposed purchase the city councilors questioned since all three lots are owned by just one entity.

Cuenco explained that there is an existing tripartite memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the DOTr, the Cebu City Government and the funding agency on the RAP.

He said the role of the City Government, as stipulated in the agreement, is to initiate and execute the purchase of the resettlement lots, where the NHA will build the housing structures.

“Even though, of course, we would want the lot that will be purchased to be owned by the city of Cebu…our role is limited to the identification and payment of the purchase price, as indicated in the MOA,” Cuenco said.

He said the council already went to the extent of forming the ad hoc committee to look into the issues on the choice of the resettlement sites, which he added is already well-explained in its report.

Cuenco, however, said that should the majority of the City Council remain skeptical in approving the resettlement sites, with the approval of the resettlement sites, they may have to just settle on the just the approval of the RAP.

Pesquera agreed, since the bone of contention is only on the resettlement sites’ purchase.

“Why not we will just stick with what we already approved? Anyway, we are not part of the transaction. Why are we involving ourselves when the money is from the World Bank, it’s from the national government, it’s facilitated by the DOTr, and the recipient will be the NHA,” she said.

Councilor Mary Ann de los Santos added that they (city councilors) are not even privy to the crafting and approval of the contract.

Pesquera said the City Council had raised several concerns on the project through several resolutions, particularly on the sidewalk expansion and the lampposts installation on portions of Osmeña Blvd., but the DOTr did not seem to mind the body.

“Namati ba sila nato? Kung mangayo og kwarta sa utang, utang na ha, bayaran gihapon na sa gobiyerno sa World bank. Then pagkahuman, dali-dalion ta, then paghuman kung naa nay kwarta, mura ra ‘ta’g tawo-tawo sa kahumayan. Kung tan-aw nila mura ra ‘ta’g tawo-tawo ra tas kahumayan, dili nalang ta nila apilon,” she said.

“Gusto sila mamayad og overpriced nga properties, so be it; di ta nila apilon,” she added.

Pesquera said that with the CBRT project cost of approximately 24 billion, it is a sure ticket for the city councilors to be accused of “plunder’ should there be anomalies in the implementation.

Following a recess, the council decided to defer the approval of the RAP's resettlement sites for one more week for its members to take a “second look” and gather the documents pertaining to the questions raised, with a consideration that this would be the last time they would decline to act on the request for approval.

In their report, the ad hoc committee identified the lots as located in barangays Punta Princesa, Tejero, and Mabolo.

Previously, in a Nov. 8 letter, Atty. Michelle M. Descartin, CBRT-Project Monitoring Office legal officer and ad hoc committee member, raised questions to the City Council on the approval of the three resettlement sites.

She said the identification and selection of the three lots allegedly did not comply with the provisions of Republic Act No. 7279 (Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA) of 1992).

In its report, however, the committee said Descartin’s letter was not only "misleading but also reflects a profound lack of careful consideration and rigorous analysis".

"It appears to be hastily constructed, devoid of the necessary depth and critical thought that such important matters demand. This careless approach undermines the integrity of the legal discourse and raises serious questions about the diligence with which she has engaged with the case at hand," stated the report.

The committee recommended the approval of the RAP, stating that it “satisfies the requirements set by the Urban Development and Housing and aligns with the City Government's objectives under the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) Project”.

It was last Oct. 16 when the Cebu City Council approved the creation of the ad hoc committee that will look into the alleged irregularities in the purchase of the resettlement lots .(CEBU NEWS)