While the Capitol agreed to Cebu City Hall’s request to open the Capitol compound for a temporary diversion route, Rep. Tomas Osmeña of Cebu City’s south district sought to block the Capitol’s Ciudad project.
Garcia yesterday met with City Traffic Office Management (Citom) head Rafael Yap, Citom chairman Sylvan “Jack” Jakosalem and Capitol consultant on Security Cesar Veloso to discuss the rerouting issue along the compound.
On the same day, Osmeña asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) to suspend processing of an Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC) to Fifth Avenue Development Corp., Ciudad project developer.
Osmeña told DENR-7 director Max Dichoso that there is a pending case on the project and approval of Fifth Avenue’s application for ECC may preempt any court decision on the case.
The congressman also pointed out that there is a national law that limits the use of Friar Lands to “public service and use” only.
Osmeña also warned DENR that City Ordinance 2193, which prohibits developments along the Ban-Tal corridor, is still in effect.
He also questioned the validity of the documents including the title that Fifth Avenue attached to their application for ECC.
But Provincial Legal Officer Marino Martinquilla said the Capitol lot located along the Ban-Tal Road, a part of which will be used for the Cuidad development, has a “clean title.”
Martinquilla clarified that although a Friar land, the title of the said property does not annotate that it could only be used for public use.
“When Capitol acquired the property, there was no condition as to its use,” he said.
Meanwhile, Garcia agrees to open the Capitol compound on certain conditions that will be defined in an agreement to be signed between Citom and Capitol.
Among the conditions is the prohibition of loading and unloading of passengers within the compound.
Traffic enforcers must also be deployed to ensure that traffic rules are followed.
Only light vehicles like jeepneys and private cars will be allowed to pass.
The road will only be accessible from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to ensure security within the Capitol compound.
After the agreement is signed, private vehicles and passenger jeepneys from Escario Street heading to M. Velez Street and Banawa area will be allowed to make a right turn to the Capitol compound road exiting through the gate at the back of the Palace of Justice. With Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus