Ex-councilor to resolve 93-1
A former Cebu City councilor has vowed to do everything it can to help solve the long standing problem of 93-1 if elected this coming election.
Mary Ann de los Santos has committed to exhausting all possible ways and means to resolve the long-standing land dispute once she succeeds in her campaign to regain a seat in the City Council come the May 9, 2022 elections.
This is driven by her ardent desire to help thousands of families embroiled at the center of the decades-old 93-1 issue aside from her concern for health and education of the Cebuanos.
"Aside from health and education, I want to finish 93-1. Why? I am from Lahug and the biggest beneficiary of this is from Lahug because there are 11 sitios affected," said de los Santos.
The 93-1 issue concerns the land swap deal between Cebu City and the Province of Cebu involving informal settlers occupying provincial lots within the city.
Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama's administration has also been committing one's self to resolving this issue even hoping to get it done before his term ends although many said it will take some time before everything will be resolved.
To recall, back in 1993, the Cebu provincial government had enacted Sangguniang Panlalawigan Ordinance 93-1, apportioning several parcels of land that it owned for direct sale to its actual occupants.
In August 2018, the 93-1 land swap deal was previously signed by former mayor Tomas Osmeña and former governor and now Vice Governor Hilario “Junjun” Davide III.
However, it was voided after the Commission on Audit (COA) found that the two local government units entered into such deal without prior consent from state auditors.
When Osmeña was defeated by the late Cebu City mayor Edgardo Labella in the May 2019 elections, the deed of donation and acceptance of the properties involved in the deal could not be implemented because of legal issues.
Around 5,000 families have been occupying the 93-1 lots owned by the Cebu provincial government for over 30 years already, but until now the controversial lots have yet to be awarded to them.
This is a concern that hounds de los Santos to no end.
"Ako lang gyud tang tumong ug tinguha di lang gyud ta ni sila gamiton matag eleksiyon. Mahimo ra man silang importante matag eleksiyon. In other words, stop the threatening nga "no-vote, ibot" mga ingon ana bitaw," stressed de los Santos.
De los Santos emphasized that the primordial objective of the 93-1 is to give land to the landless and home for the homeless.
"The main thrust there is to give land to the landless and home for the homeless, nga inig uli nila makatug na sila nga maghayang. Kanus-a man tawon nila ma-angkon ni, nganong lisud-lisuron man gyud? Nganong di man gyud nato tagaan og kahigayonan ang atong mga kaigsoonan nga maka-angkon sa maong luna," de los Santos said. --Caecent No-ot Magsumbol/GMR