Council defers Monterrazas request for traffic enforcement

CEBU, Philippines — Monterrazas de Cebu has once again come under the sharp eye of Vice Mayor Tomas Osmeña, this time with him openly rejecting a council resolution that would have endorsed the Traffic Management Coordination (TMC) Board’s recommendation for a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Cebu City Government and Mont Property Group, Inc.

The MOA, as detailed in TMC Board Resolution No. 005-002-2026 and backed by a City Legal Office opinion, was designed to authorize the Cebu City Transportation Office (CCTO) to enforce traffic rules along Monterrazas’ private access road on Villalon Drive.

The legal office had found the draft MOA “a legally sound instrument” that would allow CCTO to ticket, tow, and remove illegally parked vehicles on the designated private road.

Mont Property Group would retain ownership and maintenance responsibilities, while the city would only exercise enforcement powers.

Initially, Councilor Dave Tumulak moved for the adoption of the endorsement, seconded by Councilor Winston Pepito; hence, the motion was carried.

However, Osmeña, who vacated his seat as presiding officer, joined the other members on the floor while Councilor Phillip Zafra temporarily presided, and strongly opposed the measure.

Osmeña argued that the city was repeating a dangerous pattern already seen in Beverly Hills, Maria Luisa, and Arcenas subdivisions, where private ownership of roads has blocked access for residents and tourists.

“What’s the pattern? The rich against the poor,” Osmeña declared.

He cited how buses carrying tourists to the Taoist Temple are barred from Beverly Hills, how Maria Luisa restricts passage, and how landowners behind Arcenas in Banilad cannot develop their properties because they are locked out by road ownership.

“If you look at the city, only six thousand hectares are below the hills. They have another 20 thousand hectares beyond the hills, and what we are doing by having policies like this, you are hindering the development of the upper areas… Except if it’s Monterrazas, of course, because they’re rich,” Osmeña said.

He added: “I have nothing against the city providing the services, but are they going to block the development going outside? I’m sorry, Mr. Chairman, I can’t go along with this.”

Pepito countered that the MOA was limited to traffic enforcement, while Councilor Mikel Rama noted that a pending ordinance already seeks to regulate developers and guarantee access to inland communities to prevent landlocking.

Zafra acknowledged Osmeña’s concerns and proposed withdrawing the approval.

After a brief recess, Pepito and other councilors conferred with Osmeña, leading the council to eventually vote to rescind its earlier approval.

The resolution was instead referred to the Committees on Laws and Urban Planning for further study.

The MOA, which was supposed to extend CCTO enforcement authority into Monterrazas’ private road, now awaits deeper scrutiny in committee as the council weighs the balance between traffic order and equitable access for surrounding communities. — /IHM (FREEMAN)