Can Mariano Godinez, the lot owner of a 4.5-hectare property occupied by 168 families in sitio San Miguel, barangay Apas show up personally to prove that he is serious about claiming his land.
Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district posed this question, to the point of raising doubts Godinez was still alive, as he remained adamant about working out a compromise with Godinez, whose advanced age is said to prevent him from attending court hearings on the demolition of houses in the area.
Since the ball is in the court of City Hall, specifically in the hands of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama, Osmeña technically doesn’t have a direct hand in dealing with Godinez’s lawyer Roberto Palmares, who made an interesting albeit questionable offer.
Palmares offered to provide P17 million in assistance to the affected families on the condition that the Cebu City government advances to him that amount and he would pay the city back once the lot is sold.
To his credit, Rama isn’t biting.
He said the affected residents should be consulted first before any amount is released. Osmeña’s point is relevant; if Godinez really wants the lot so badly, why won’t hasn’t he shown up all these years?
Benjamin Militar, lawyer for the residents, questioned whether Godinez was still living since he never showed up in any court hearing on the property case.
Palmares said his his client was too sickly to attend the hearings.
Can he show any other proof that his client is directing the course of this eviction case?
Palmares said he’s willing to have both Rama and Osmeña act as witnesses in the compromise agreement, but the affected families and city residents should be assured that the money goes directly to Godinez, not anyone else.
Since Palmares and by extension his client don’t want any bloodshed in a demolition that could turn ugly like the one in Parañaque City that claimed one life, there’s no immediate pressure for families to yield.
We hope that a compromise agreement, one that respects the needs of both sides of the dispute, can be worked out for their mutual benefit.