Kawit project suffers yet another setback
With eight votes in favor, the Cebu City Council again referred the proposed resolution authorizing Mayor Tomas Osmeña to sign the amended joint venture agreement with Universal Hotels and Resorts Inc. to the ad hoc committee for further study and review.
The move, Osmeña said, is just a way for the opposition to delay and block implementation of the project.
During the council’s discussion yesterday, Councilor Jose Daluz III said that the amended deal should be referred again to the ad hoc committee before its approval, as a matter of procedure.
This, after he noticed that several original provisions of the contract, which they recommended to be taken out, remained.
He cited provisions that are inconsistent since the executive has included suggestions from the ad hoc committee but failed to delete those that should no longer be included.
In the provision on obligations, the executive included that the proponent “acknowledges that all foreshore leases and reclamation in the areas adjacent to the project site shall belong to the City. Further, it shall not apply or process any foreshore lease of reclamation application without the consent of the City.”
However, another subsection states that the City will assist the proponent in securing rights over foreshore or miscellaneous lease over the coastline of the project area.
If the duplication is not deleted, Daluz said, it will just confuse both parties.
Councilor Raymond Garcia agreed, saying the City’s best interest should be protected.
Instead of approving the motion of Councilor Eugenio Gabuya to pass his resolution that will allow the mayor to sign the agreement, Garcia moved to have the matter referred to the ad hoc committee.
Councilor Margarita Osmeña objected, prompting Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella to proceed with the voting.
All Barug Team Rama councilors voted in favor of Garcia’s motion while seven administration councilors voted against it. Councilor Sisinio Andales abstained.
The proposed development will consist of a commercial shopping center, a theater for performing arts, a convention center, an intergrated resort and gaming facility, three hotels, a theme park, among others.