Tomas on 93-1 ultimatum:  It s a bluff

CEBU, Philippines — The camp of former Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña  believed that the ultimatum set by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for the 93-1 residents' loan application is a  bluff. 

They said it is aimed at elevating the image of Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia.

Osme a and Councilor Nestor Archival Sr. yesterday held a press conference to air their reactions on the recent memorandum issued by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia about the 93-1 occupants.

The memorandum gave a final ultimatum for occupants of the Cebu Provincial Government-owned lots under Provincial Ordinance 93-1, stating that they have until today, March 7, 2025, to process their housing loan applications with Pag-Ibig Fund.

Osme a said the issuance of the ultimatum is a  bluff  designed to present Mayor Garcia as the person who eliminated the ultimatum set by his aunt, the governor.

 They will give them an ultimatum, and somewhere along the way, Raymond will say,  No more ultimatum, ah pakpak, di daog na sila,   said Osme a.

 This is a scam,  he added.

 This ultimatum from Gwen is pure bullshit, she is lying,  said Osme a.

He said that he  pitied  the 93-1 residents who have been caught in the middle of these land ownership concerns for 50 years.

In an earlier report, Mayor Garcia pointed out that the land swap agreement could not be enforced if one party no longer supported it.

Osme a, on the other hand, said that an agreement between two governments do not need an approval from the Commission on Audit (COA). He then stated that with the representation of Archival, who is the standard-bearer for the Bando-Osme a Pundok Kauswahan (BOPK) political party, the titles of the disputed lands will be returned to the Cebu Provincial Government.

In a report by The Freeman on March 15, 2023, it was stated that the Cebu Provincial Board had revoked the memorandum of agreement and subsequent deeds of donation entered into between the Provincial Government of Cebu and the Cebu City Government concerning the lots under Provincial Ordinance 93-1.

The resolution, authored by Provincial Board Member John Ismael Borgonia, cited the  defective  lot donations and the continuously failed land swap negotiations between the two local government units as reasons for the revocation.

Previously, Cebu City Legal Office (CLO) representative, Lawyer Eleodoro Diaz IV, stated that their office had not received any formal documents on the matter but cited a report from a newspaper mentioning the revocation of the land swap agreement during the time of then mayor Michael Rama.

Diaz, however, said that they have yet to obtain a copy of the revocation but added that they are currently seeking a clarification from the Department of General Services (DGS). He also mentioned that the Commission on Audit (COA) has revoked this agreement due to the lack of consent from COA.

Archival, for his part, said that in November 2024, he sponsored a resolution asking the Office of the Mayor to implement the memorandum of agreement on the land swap agreement signed in 2018, which was approved unanimously. He stressed, however, that up until now, no action has been taken by the local chief executive.

 It is clear that the mayor does not want to help the 93-1 occupants, as simple as that,  said Archival.

Osme a further said that the indefinite land ownership situation for the residents left them in uncertainty.

To recall, in December 2018, Osme a and former governor, now Vice Governor Hilario Davide III, signed a memorandum of agreement for a land swap between the City and the Province, covering 32 hectares of the Province-owned lots under Ordinance 93-1, located in several Cebu City barangays.

The lots subject to the agreement also included the 1.5 hectares inside the Department of Agriculture compound on M. Velez St.; 2,358 square meters on Gorordo Ave. in Barangay Lahug; and 577 square meters on Don Gil Garcia St. in Barangay Capitol Site.

The 93-1 beneficiaries are from barangays Kamputhaw, Capitol Site, Kalunasan, Busay, Luz, Lahug, Mabolo, Apas, Lorega, San Miguel, Kasambagan, and Tejero.

Both Archival and Garcia are vying for the mayoral post in the May 12, 2025 midterm elections, while Osme a is running for vice mayor. --  JG (CEBU NEWS)