Newsbriefs

CHURCH CHARGED FOR RIGHT OF WAY

A COUPLE filed a civil suit against the Cebu archdiocese after one of its priests built a concrete wall along a road that blocked the entrance to their house in barangay Basak Pardo, Cebu City.

Named respondents in the civil suit filed by couple Michael and Adora Casey were Cebu Archbishop Jose Palma and Fr. Henry Visitacion of the Holy Cross Parish. The couple filed for injunction and sought damages as a result of the incident.

The couple sought P50,000 as moral damages, P30,000 for acceptance fee and litigation expenses and other costs.

The feud stemmed after the church built a concrete wall on the road leading to the Caseys’ house.

Canon lawyer Msgr. Esteban Binghay said they already resolved the issue in “their level.”

“Fr. Henry has presented confidence of ownership on the area because the Caseys had not presented any document of ownership,” Binghay said.

In a separate interview, complainant Adora Casey said Visitacion blocked the road going to their house and violated their road right of way.

Casey said they bought the property and built their house with her American husband last 2008.

She said they were assured by the former parish priest that they would be given the road right of way.

But Casey admitted that they have no copy of the deed of donation for the road right of way. Their house is located on the right side of the church property facing the highway.

They have to pass through the churchyard before they can get in their house.

Casey said Visitacion previously placed a gate and locked it to block their way.

She said they broke the lock of the gate and Visitacion sued them for robbery and malicious mischief. The charges were dismissed last year. Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya

RAMA URGES UNITY IN CEBU

CEBU City needs cooperation from the Capitol and neighboring local government units (LGUs) to continue its growth and development, said Mayor Michael Rama.

“We should be working hand in hand with the Cebu provincial government.  We should be working hand in hand with other cities.  We only have one Cebu.  What is there to quarrel,” said Rama.

Rama led the launch of the city’s 75th Charter Day celebration at the activity center of the Ayala mall last Monday.

Also in the launch were Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, philanthropist Mariquita Salimbangon-Yeung, Fil-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry head Felomino Lim and businessman Moncho Aboitiz, president of the Aboitiz Equity Ventures.

In his message, Rama mentioned that the city was capable of a budget bigger than the P5.2-billion budget that the city council approved for 2012.

He said Lim declared in a gathering of businessmen that “Cebu City has the potential to raise a P20-billion budget.”

Rama asked Cebuanos to look forward to the different activities that the city and its partner groups prepared, which include the selection of the 75 Cebuano families of distinction. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac

MAYOR TOLD: ANSWER COMPLAINT

THE Cebu Provincial Board (PB) asked Daanbantayan Mayor Ma. Luisa Loot to answer the complaint filed against her within 15 days.

The provincial secretary received last week the joint complaint-affidavit from six residents of Daanbantayan town.

Loot was charged for culpable violation of the constitution, oppression, misconduct in office, gross negligence or dereliction of duty and abuse of authority in relation to the mayor’s order to close 25 cemeteries in the town.

The filing of administrative complaints against Loot was decided in a Nov. 21 meeting with Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia and officials of the Daanbantayan Roman Catholic Church, Department of Health in Region 7 among the complainants.

Loot’s son PB member Sun Shimura said he won’t inhibit from the investigation.

PB Member Joven Mondigo, who chairs the committee on complaints and investigations, earlier recommended that the complaint be tackled by the PB board. Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus