Tom slams opposition for blocking Kawit deal

CEBU, Philippines — It only proved their role as “obstructionists.”

Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña made the reference to the opposition Barug Team Rama PDP-Laban following the latter’s move to make good its promise to pursue legal charges against the administration for signing the P18 billion deal with Gokongwei-led Universal Hotels and Resorts Inc.

“Babag as usual,” the mayor said.

Eight opposition councilors have asked the court to nullify the resolutions that were approved during the “unauthorized” session on August 9.

The resolutions are authorizing Osmeña to enter into a joint venture agreement with Gokongwei-led company, and granting special land use for a landfill in Barangay Biniliw.

The opposition Councilors Jose Daluz III, Jocelyn Pesquera, Raymond Alvin Garcia, Pastor Alcover Jr., Erik Miguel Espina, Joel Garganera, Renato Osmeña Jr., and Eduardo Rama Jr. said the resolutions were approved after the session was adjourned.

The resolutions were also stricken off from the agenda on August 7 and August 8, according to the opposition.

Members of the Bando Osmeña Pundok Kauswagan, however, went on with the voting and approved the resolutions without the opposition councilors.

The opposition councilors said the BOPK-allied councilors did not have a valid ground to convene in a session as it was already adjourned by Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella, the council’s presiding officer.

The incident prompted the opposition councilors to file civil cases against Osmeña and Councilors David Tumulak, Margarita Osmeña, Sisinio Andales, Eugenio Gabuya Jr., Alvin Arcilla, Mary Ann Delos Santos, Jerry Guardo, Franklyn Ong, and Joy Augustus Young, UHRI, and Geofry Abroguena, developer of the Binaliw landfill.

They also prayed for the court to issue a temporary restraining order and a writ of preliminary injunction.

Osmeña said the opposition officials are just trying to scare the investors by blocking developments in the city.

"They just want to scare the investor. Cheap trick. It's not working because the Gokongwei lawyers have already reviewed the case," he said.

The mayor though is optimistic the case won’t prosper.

"Yes. Team Suyop is suffering from the delusion that the minority has become the majority! They walked out without following the protocol for adjournment. Then they said there was no quorum but no one asked for a roll call to officially declare that there is in quorum," he told The FREEMAN.

With the approval of ARN Builders Inc’s special land use application, the city government’s private garbage hauler has already an alternative dumping site—the 1.7-hectare Central Material Facility and Sanitary Landfill in Barangay Binaliw.

Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr., the council chairman on public services, said the city can save millions for hauling operations.

“Advantageous kaayo kay maka-save ta og money kay they will give us special price being host city or barangay depende sa among ma-come up nga negotiation,” he said.

Records showed that the city’s expenses for the hauling operations decreased by at least P9 million since contracting a service provider in December 2016.

The city spent P309 million for hauling operations last year, which is quite higher than this year’s P300 million garbage allocation.

At present, the contractor, Jomara Konstruckt Corporation, disposes the city’s garbage either in Aloguinsan in midwest Cebu or Consolacion in northern Cebu. (FREEMAN)