Vacate Centcom lots, Capitol tells occupants
The Capitol yesterday sent another batch of demand letters to occupants of the former Central Command lot in barangay Apas that forms part of its multibillion-peso Ciudad project.
Provincial Treasurer Roy Salubre told Cebu Daily News that there are 15 affected lot owners. One of them is Rico Palcuto, a retired police colonel who ran as vice mayor in last year’s elections.
This development came amid disagreements between Cebu City officials over outgoing Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim’s endorsement of the P1.2-billion project located along Governor Cuenco Avenue.
Salubre said the occupants were given until Sept. 15 to vacate their lots.
He said a relocation site measuring 43 square meters had been provided for them in barangay Kalunasan.
The Cebu City Legal office issued an opinion favoring the implementation of the Capitol’s P1.2-billion Ciudad project last July 25 after being requested by City Administrator Jose Mari Poblete.
The Alliance of Barangay Apas Community Association (Abaca) sought a court injunction on Capitol’s plan to take back the property they occupy.
In their petition, they said the lot is part of the Friar Lands Act of the city.
Cebu City Councilor Edgardo Labella said City Ordinance no. 2193, which devotes the use of friar lands along the Banilad-Talamban corridor for public use, remains in effect.
Lim’s endorsement of the multi-billion-peso Ciudad project along Governor Cuenco Avenue doesn’t carry weight especially with his resignation, said Cebu City Vice Mayor Joy Augustus Young.
He said Lim was “only being polite” when he voiced his support to the project to be undertaken by contractor Fifth Avenue Development Corp.
“It (the Cuidad project) has nothing to do with a tourism project. But it has something to do with traffic in the area,” Young said.
The vice mayor said the proposed P1.2-billion project “does not need DOT endorsement but social acceptability.”
But Mayor Michael Rama disagrees, saying he is glad that Lim appreciates the project’s viability and future.
Fifth Avenue Developent Corp. has a pending application for development permit with the City Planning and Development Office.
Former mayor and now Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district and the council opposed the Ciudad project, saying this was contrary to the Friar Lands Act ordinance.
The CLO opinion ran contrary to an earlier court pleading, which they submitted in relation to an eviction case filed by the city government in support of Apas residents.
The court pleading filed earlier said the Centcom lot was classified under the Friar Lands Act and should only be used for public use, which include residential use and open spaces.
The council will meet with CLO personnel to clarify the matter.
Last Thursday, Lim said he was prepared to endorse the Ciudad project after its developer complied with all its development requirements.
Rama said the planning office should act on the development permit application if all requirements were complied with.
Young questioned why city officials showed Lim a project model that showed low-cost housing units instead of pre-Spanish-era structures.
“Showing the model was a wrong thing. It was not showing the Cuidad project but models of raw houses. Too bad Lim is no longer here to continue endorsing Ciudad,” he said.
Young said no traffic study is needed to know how congestion would affect the Banilad-Talamban road once the Cuidad project is built.
He said one need only stand in a portion of the road from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. especially during events in the nearby Waterfront Hotel to know about the traffic congestion.
Young said the traffic study presented by Fifth Avenue does not address traffic concerns.
He said the Ciudad investor proposed to open four access roads at their development site, but these would still end up connecting to Governor Cuenco Avenue.
For one, the proposed Centcom access road would connect to Apas and later end up along Gov. Cuenco Road.
“If they (Fifth Avenue) can give us an honest to goodness solution to the traffic problem, then we can allow it (the development project). Even Tomas said that he will respect the project (if they are able to address traffic concerns),” Young said.
Young said he could only see that the access road proposed by Fifth Avenue will allow entry to the Cuidad project and not adequately address traffic concerns in the area.
