CEBU, Philippines — Following a week-long deferment of its approval, the Cebu City Council yesterday has agreed to endorse the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for those who will be displaced by the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT), except for the legislative body’s nod of the purchase of the resettlement lots.
In yesterday’s regular session, the Nov. 15 ad hoc committee endorsement of the three resettlement lots was retackled by the council after deferring action on it during its Nov. 20 session, due to members’ refusal to be part in any way of the purchase of the three resettlement lots.
Yeserday, City Councilor James Anthony Cuenco, committee on transportation chairman, said that despite the one-week postponement, they still could not agree on also giving their approval to the lots purchase.
As a result, they instead moved to approve the RAP, which they have no issues on, but left the discretion to purchase the lot to the Department of Transportation (DOTr), especially since the lots would be under the name of the National Housing Authority (NHA), anyway, and not of the City Government.
“For after all, the deed of sale of this lot will not reflect in any way, will not contain the name of the City Government of Cebu, the contract will be between the DOTr and the lot owner,” Cuenco said.
“And so, in order to remove any obstacle that will prevent the DOTr and the World Bank from proceeding with their desired objectives, considering that they have a deadline to catch, this alternative solution is presented to this August body,” he added.
It was on Oct. 16 when the Cebu City Council approved the creation of the ad hoc committee to investigate the alleged irregularities in the purchase of land intended for the families who will be affected by the implementation of CBRT Packages 2 and 3.
The formation of the ad hoc committee was prompted by concerns surrounding the three lots for the RAP. City councilors the City Council’s involvement in the purchase, given that the lots will be registered under the NHA.
In a previous discussion, City Councilor Jocelyn Pesquera stated 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 on...the DOTr already approved this project, and second, in the documents, nothing would (show), that the property will go to the City Government,” she had said.
She added that it was indicated in the attached documents that the resettlement sites will placed under NHAs name. With this, she concluded that there was no need for the City Council to approve the purchase of the resettlement sites since the city will not have any control over its implementation.
In its letter to the City Council, the ad hoc committee endorsed for purchase the three available resettlement sites located in barangays Punta Princesa, Tejero, and Mabolo.
The City Councilors, though continued to be skeptical about the purchase since the lots are allegedly owned by just one entity and Pesquera said they were “overpriced”. —/RHM (FREEMAN)