NEWS BRIEFS

SURPRISED BY COURT DECISION ON MAHIGA DEMOLITION

Cebu City Rep. Tomas Osmeña yesterday expressed surprised at the court decision upholding the demolition of houses in Mahiga Creek despite the absence of relocation sites for affected families.

Osmeña said the decision was contrary to the general welfare of some 300 creekside families.

“My basic understanding is that the law says that if they have been there for a long time, there should be just compensation. But the court decision says its okay to demolish,” he said.

The lawmaker said he didn’t see the urgency of the demolition.

“It’s not like we are in the middle of a typhoon and we have imminent danger so we just have to demolish…”I have not read the decision but I am surprised with the outcome of the case,” he said.

Osmeña said that while the court has ruled on the legality, it is the Cebuanos who will be judge in the 2013 election whether Mayor Michael Rama did the right thing when he ordered the demolition. /Chief of Correspondent Doris C. Bongcac

RAINS DELAY UN AVENUE REPAIR

Recent heavy rains have slowed down road rehabilitation work at the U. N. Avenue in Mandaue City.

Work could have covered 700 meters of the kilometer-long inner lane but with the downpour, only 500 meters was finished, said Engr. Pabliot Bacalso Obial, contractor of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

But despite the two-day work delay, Obial said they will still make sure to finish the road at the foot of the Mandaue Mactan Bridge on time.

Three weeks after the work started, vehicle flow from Lapu-Lapu City has adjusted and seldom experiences heavy traffic, even if vehicles use only one lane at the foot of the bridge, said Allan Agustin, a Mandaue traffice agency member.

A ‘No stopping zone’ is still strictly enforced in the area. ./Correspondent Fe Marie D. Dumaboc