CEBU City Hall’s Office of the Building Official told Muslim community leaders to send their engineers to a meeting they will hold with the engineers of a developer to discuss the damage supposedly wrought in their mosque.
“It’s hard to see lawyers and engineers exchange ideas and it would be better that our Muslim brothers also send structural engineers in our meeting this Tuesday,” said OBO chief Engr. Josefa Ylanan.
Ylanan said the Mambaling Mosque is secure and it won’t collapse.
She said the eroded part should be taken cared of to avoid further damage to the mosque.
She made the assurance amid a Muslim leader’s insistence that the P141,000 paid by the Paravisible Construction Co. as compensation is inadequate to cover the damage wrought on the mosque due to the ongoing construction activities.
“What they paid is a very small amount compared to the damages they inflicted to us,” said Imam Aladdin Ubpon of the Al Khaitiah mosque.
He said the developer caused the cracks on their administrative building, toilet and their temple.
Cracks found in the mosque’s wall have caused friction between some Muslim members and the developer.
The P141,000 was paid for by the company after the Muslim members signed papers signifying their agreement to the mall construction next to their mosque.
Ubpon said their water tank which costs P300,000 was removed by the developer during their mall construction.
“Even though I signed it, we still have the right to ask for other damages,” he said.
Ubpon said the amount was paid to them in installments.
The developer earlier offered to repair the cracks and repair the temple’s foundation where the soil caved in.
But Ubpon said their engineers advised them that the area where the temple is located may collapse anytime soon especially during a downpour.
Ubpon blamed the developer for removing the mosque’s retaining wall.
Paravisible Construction Co. said while it can repair the cracks it cannot build a new mosque since it would “be too much.”
Company official Ponce Para said representatives of Cebu City’s Office of Building Official (OBO) inspected the cracks four days ago and declared the mosque safe for use. Six families have lived in the property since 1993.
Ubpon said loud noises of heavy equipment used in the mall construction prevent them from praying peacefully.
The Muslims pray five times a day, and the whole day on Friday. Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya and Correspondent Edison delos Angeles