Osmeña to snub House inquiry

CEBU CITY — Mayor Tomas Osmeña said he would not cooperate with the proposed inquiry of the House of Representatives into the controversy surrounding the south reclamation project (SRP).

In a brief interview Friday morning, Osmeña dismissed questions relating to the House inquiry proposed by Cebu first district Rep. Eduardo Gullas.

"Nope. I’m not going to play into his hands. He already had his chance so I’m not going to play into it anymore," he said.

This developed as Justice Secretary Raul Gonzales said the city government submitted on Thursday night a memorandum stating its claim to the 295-hectare SRP. Talisay City, through Gullas, was the first to submit its memorandum.

But Gonzales refused to elaborate further, saying he will come up with a ruling soon to be submitted to the Office of the President.

"Anyone who is going to be dissatisfied with my opinion can go to court if he wants to. That’s his right," Gonzales told The Freeman.

The Department of Justice ruling would resolve the issue on whether Talisay City can demand tax payment from investors within the contested portion of SRP.

But whether the House probe pushes through or not, Gonzales said he will help President Arroyo decide the draft proclamation authorizing Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Mike Defensor to issue a special patent to Cebu City for the entire SRP.

Gullas, who was the mayor of Talisay when the city first laid claim to the SRP portion, said Osmeña’s attendance in the House inquiry is "not necessary" because they can call on anyone who is knowledgeable about the issue.

Last March 28, Gullas filed Resolution No. 683 directing the House committee on natural resources to conduct an inquiry into the method adopted by the DENR’S National Mapping and Resources Information Authority (Namria) in delineating and delimitating the municipal waters of Cebu City and Talisay City.

According to Gullas, he said the Namria report stating that the SRP only encroached into about 2.087 hectares of Talisay’s municipal waters was "prejudicial to the interest" of Talisay residents.

Namria’s report was apparently based on the table survey it conducted last year when Kawit Island was already reclaimed and when the shorelines of both cities were already changed due to the reclamation project.

"When MBM 30 of Talisay City was located inside the SRP, they drew a straight line toward Kawit. And because of that perpendicular line, nawagtang ang big body of water, nikawat na og dako sa municipal waters of Talisay City," Gullas said.

He said the inquiry is important since Namria will explain the methods it used in the delineation and delimitation of the municipal waters of both cities. — Freeman News Service