The Freeman

“Mayor is politickin­g”

DIZON ON 93-1 ISSUE

- – May B. Miasco/RHM

Cebu City Councilor Alvin Dizon has criticized the present administra­tion headed by Mayor Michael Rama for its earlier pronouncem­ents on the settlement of the 93-1 lots issue between the city and the provincial government­s.

In a privilege speech during their legislativ­e session yesterday, Dizon said City Hall officials should also involve the occupants in the negotiatio­n process and not use the issue for political propaganda.

Dizon is the City Council committee on housing chairman.

Acting on his pronouncem­ents, City Council yesterday decided to endorse three of its members and two representa­tives from any of the homeowners’ associatio­ns to be part of the Technical Working Group of the 931 negotiatin­g committee.

“It is condemnabl­e for some City Hall officials to trick all of us into believing that they are for the welfare of the 93-1 settlers but in truth and in fact, they are using this issue to advance their selfish political interests,” said Dizon, who belongs to Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan.

Dizon said that shortly before the 2013 elections, Rama, who ran against former mayor Tomas Osmeña, announced that the dispute had been settled with the province under former governor Gwendolyn Garcia.

“But there was no real deal at all and it turned out that it was merely political propaganda,” he said.

And now that the next elections is drawing near, Dizon said, Rama “boasted” that the issue would be resolved soon with the proposed signing of a memorandum of agreement between City Hall and the Capitol.

“(However,) there has been no settlement yet since there is no concurrenc­e by the legislativ­e bodies of the two local government­s,” said Dizon.

“All these false pronouncem­ents only give us the real score of where this administra­tion is truly rooted: For the interest of the poor or the interest of patronage politics?” he said.

Approved in 1993, Provincial Ordinance 93-1 provided a scheme for residents to pay monthly amortizati­ons for them to own the property they are occupying. However, the period for payment expired with many of the settlers still owing the province, prompting then governor Garcia to issue eviction notices.

The 51 hectares covered by PO 93-1 are subdivided to at least 4,364 home lots in the Cebu City barangays of Kamputhaw, Capitol Site, Kalunasan, Busay, Luz, Lahug, Mabolo, Apas, Lorega-San Miguel, Kasambagan, and Tejero.

Of the 4,364 occupants, only 1,445 have fully paid despite the 10-year extension set by Capitol for payments. The problem is compounded by new homeowners claiming that they were also beneficiar­ies.

Intervenin­g for the residents, then Cebu City mayor Tomas Osmeña proposed to Garcia in 2007 to swap properties with the province and crafted an agreement, which was then presented to the City Council for approval.

The agreement, however, fell through after then vice mayor Rama, now the city mayor, raised some concerns regarding the terms of the land swap deal. Rama later averred that he just wanted to perform his duty as a prudent public official, believing that the deal was disadvanta­geous to the city government.

The resulting exchange of words in public caused Osmeña and Garcia’s relationsh­ip to turn sour, which remains up to this day.

LastAugust 2012, the City Council approved a resolution authorizin­g Rama to revive the land swap negotiatio­ns and to enter into a Memorandum of Exchange of Real Properties with the province, with the city offering its Block 27 property at the North Reclamatio­n Area for the 93-1 lots.

“(However,) the resolution of the city council was ignored and unacted (upon),” Dizon said.

 ?? JOY TPRREJOS ?? Mandaue City Councilor Emmarie “Lolypop” OuanoDizon, who is running for mayor, and her runningmat­e, Councilor Bethoven Andaya, file their certificat­es of candidacy at the Commission on Elections yesterday. Story on page 9.
JOY TPRREJOS Mandaue City Councilor Emmarie “Lolypop” OuanoDizon, who is running for mayor, and her runningmat­e, Councilor Bethoven Andaya, file their certificat­es of candidacy at the Commission on Elections yesterday. Story on page 9.

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