Judge tells City Hall to ‘get their act together’; Defers Luz demolition

Will the Cebu City Council authorize Mayor Michael Rama to purchase the lot occupied by settlers who are due for eviction in barangay Luz?

Regional Trial Court Judge Ramon Daomilas of Branch 11 yesterday put on hold the scheduled  demolition of 32 houses at least until Friday.

“The local government should get their act together. I have not heard anything from the City Council. When will they have a decision? The court has waited for how many months already,” the judge said in open court yesterday.

The judge said he has to implement the demolition order otherwise he would be held liable for  disregarding a ruling that is  final and executory.

“What will happen if the court will not proceed and there is still no decision from the City Council? You’re putting the court in a precarious situation. The court is not comfortable with that,” the judge said.

“What the court wants is a final position —  what the city government, as a whole, is really thinking,” he added.

Cebu City lawyer Leslie Ann Reyes said that in case the council won’t allow Mayor Rama to purchase the lots, the city still needs to find a relocation site for the settlers.

They are asking for at least one month to look for relocation site.

“It’s hard for us to transfer ti  the Budlaan  relocation site because it’s so steep and most of us are already old. Even Judge Daomilas is not okay with the place,” said Generosa Corbeta of the Barrio Luz Urban Poor Homeowners Organizations (Blupho)  in Cebuano.

City Councilor Alvin Dizon reportedly said that the resolution authorizing Rama to purchase the lot will be released during the regular session on Wednesday.

The majority bloc in the City Council  belongs to the Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan

Corbeta said she would rather know their final fate soon than  endure waiting indefinitely. /Ador Vincent Mayol and Tweeny M. Malinao