Newsbriefs
CAPITOL FOR DIALOGUE ON BAN-TAL
THE Capitol is open to dialogue with the Cebu City Council on abandoning a city ordinance that restricts lands covered by the Friar Lands Act in the Banilad-Talamban area to public use.
“The ordinance we are referring to is presuming that lands acquired in the Friar Lands Act are solely for public use. That is erroneous impression on their part,” said Capitol spokesman Rory Jon Sepulveda.
Sepulveda said they submitted a position paper to the previous City Council saying the lands were not all for public use and there was no opposition.
In June 2009, then councilor Gerardo Carillo crafted an ordinance restricting the friar lands to public use to address the traffic problem in the Banilad-Talamban area, where the province wants to pursue its Ciudad development project.
“If traffic is the only reason, there are more dense traffic routes in the city. Why there is no moratorium there?” Sepulveda said./Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus
SANCHEZ’S OLD LAWYER TO HELP NEW
THE new lawyers who will handle the usurpation case against Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia on behalf of the late vice governor Gregorio Sanchez Jr. said they would welcome the assistance of lawyer Oliveros Kintanar.
Lawyers Joseph Randi Torregosa, Waldemar Gravador, Myrna Limbaga and Reynato Galeon were recently retained by Sanchez’s daughter.
Torregosa, who will be the lead counsel, said Kintanar could be their “source of information.”
Kintanar was the lead counsel in the case until June 9 when Sanchez’s daughter, Grecylda “Gigi” Sanchez- Zaballero terminated his services, citing “differences in principle.”
Kintanar told Cebu Daily News that he welcomed the idea of being tapped for the case.
In a separate interview, Gigi said she has “full confidence” in her legal team and can relate with them since “they are in my generation.”/Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus
AIRPORT WILLING TO PAY LAPU-LAPU
THE Mactan Cebu International Airport Authority (MCIAA) is “willing to pay” P1.3 billion in real property taxes from 2003 to the present to the Lapu-Lapu City government, said Mayor Paz Radaza.
Radaza yesterday attended the public hearing in Congress for amendments of the MCIAA charter.
Radaza warned Congress that if MCIAA will be exempted from paying taxes, the city’s infrastructure projects and other services would be affected.
MCIAA manager Nigel Paul Villarete said he understands that taxes are the life blood of the economy of local government units./Reporter Jucell Marie P. Cuyos
