Lot for fire victims used as fighting cock farm?

CEBU, Philippines — Three quarters of a 1,945 square-meter lot in Barangay Luz, Cebu City that is owned by the Cebu provincial government is allegedly being used as a breeding area for fighting cocks and as a makeshift derby arena.

An appalled Governor Gwendolyn Garcia told Capitol reporters yesterday, March 2, that the lot is supposed to be leased to retired Colonel Rico Palcuto of the Regional Security Unit.

“This is a court-sanctioned compromised agreement. Dili akoy naghimo ana, dili pa man gani to sa akong administration. Apan kay gimando sa korte, kinahanglan nato sundon,” Garcia said.

Originally, the province was caught in a dispute with Paculto after the latter refused to vacate Lot 3-A-1-B, site for then proposed Ciudad project of the Capitol in partnership with Fifth Avenue Property Development Corp.

In 2017, then governor Hilario Davide III, with authority from the Provincial Board, signed a compromise agreement with Paculto allowing him to lease a provincial lot in exchange for him vacating the previous lot he resided in.

Upon Garcia’s assumption in office last year, she reportedly immediately ordered to expedite the implementation of the compromise agreement.

During yesterday’s interview, Garcia said that barangay officials staunchly opposed the reclamation of the lot as, according to her, it was meant to be an evacuation area.

“Ang ilang gusto ipagawas, na evacuation kuno intawn ni sa nasunogan. Pero ang pagkatinuod lang, permanent domicile sa ilang fighting cocks,” Garcia said.

“On face value, murag bahin ni intawn sa mga nasunogan pero last year pa intawn ni nga nagside ta ug negotiate nga i-clear na,” she added.

Last week, Capitol employees surveyed the area and saw that less than a quarter of the lot was actually being used for evacuation by fire victims in Cebu City.

Atty. Jojo Villa Jr. of the Provincial Legal Office said that over 200 fighting cocks, a number of which were owned by the some barangay officials, occupied the majority of the lot.

Garcia, who met with Cebu City officials yesterday, said that she was promised that the information will be relayed to Mayor Edgardo Labella.

The officials also reportedly promised the governor that the Cebu City government will be giving feedback by the end of the week.  JMD (FREEMAN)