Gwen: Properties Tomas claimed titled under province

The Cebu provincial government is the owner of the Cebu Capitol compound, including Osmeña Boulevard down to the Fuente Osmeña rotunda, according to Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

This, after former Cebu city Mayor Tomas Osmeña asserted that these properties are still owned by his father, the late Sergio Osmeña, Jr., who inherited “Cebu Heights” and donated Osmeña Blvd. and even the middle area of the Capitol in exchange for other properties, which his father allegedly did not get.

Osmeña made the pronouncement upon hearing that the Capitol wanted to halt the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT) works along the boulevard, challenging the Capitol's ownership in the said lots.

Cebu BRT is a brainchild project of Osmeña when he was still the mayor of Cebu city.

The other day, however, the governor said that the properties Osmeña claimed have land titles under the name of the Cebu provincial government.

"Kaning Kapitolyo nga compound padulong Osmeña boulevard lakip ang entire

Fuente rotunda, kaning mga titles naa sa pangalan sa Cebu Provincial Government," she said during the joint meeting of the Peace and Order Council (PPOC), Provincial Development Council (PDC), Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council, and the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

Garcia said there are also no annotations about the road surrounding Fuente Osmeña.

She confirmed that there was a land swapping agreement before between the provincial government and Cebu Heights Co., Inc. that was mired in controversy after several prominent political figures filed a complaint regarding the deal, which was "grossly disadvantageous" to the part of the Province.

"Two pieces of valuable property nato didto sa Banilad gi-swap ug gibalhin sa ubang properties unta dinhi.

Gibalik, pagkahuman road right of way na lang ang gibilin, kay aron maablihan ang gikan sa Osmeña Boulevard padulong sa gipadayon og panag-iya sa Cebu Heights," Garcia said.

The governor said controversy even reached the Malacañang that time.

In 1957, former President Carlos Garcia issued Administrative Order (AO) 253 exonerating former Cebu governor Sergio Osmeña, Jr. and two board members from the allegation of “dishonesty and grave misconduct” in connection with the execution of a “Deed of Exchange”, which involved certain parcels of land by and between the Province of Cebu and the Cebu Heights Co., Inc.

That time Sergio was the president and principal stockholder of Cebu Heights.

According to the said AO, the deed of exchange involved three big lots owned by the Province of Cebu that were conveyed to Cebu Heights in exchange for fourteen smaller lots that form part of two national roads in Cebu city.

The AO said that the complaint filed by Ramon Durano, Isidro Kintanar, and Miguel Cuenco alleged that the values of the lots belonging to Cebu Heights were “inflated” while those of the province were “deflated”, thus causing over P300,000 damage to the provincial government.

The AO furthered that during the course of the negotiation, Sergio did not participate as he was abroad from September to December 1954.

"There is no evidence showing that Governor Osmeña participated in the deliberations of the Board during its sessions…(on) the proposed exchange of the properties of the province of Cebu and that of the Cebu Heights Co., Inc.," it stated.

Then President Garcia said he would create a committee to determine the fair market value of the properties involved.