HPG-7 halts construction of new office building

CEBU, Philippines —  Following the decision of the Cebu provincial government to recover the property donated by the previous administration, the Highway Patrol Group (HPG-7) is forced to stop the construction work of its new office building along Gorordo Avenue in Cebu City.

HPG director Brigadier General Alexander Tagum said the construction work has to cease because of the Capitol’s decision to revoke the donation for being defective. 

“We will seek for the cease and desist action of our engineering service of the Philippine National Police para ma stop na ‘yong construction so that we can plan on the construction of the new building in the newly not donated lot but by usufruct, may ipahulam sa amoa si governor para magamit namo, which I believe is much bigger than kaning previous lot nga gidonate sa amoa,” Tagum was quoted in Sugbo News report.

Tagum was referring to a lot offered by Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia for the HPG to use at the government center in Sitio Sudlon, Barangay Lahug, Cebu City.  Garcia said the provincial government is willing to enter into a 25-year usufruct agreement with the HPG for the use of its property in lieu of lot donation. 

Garcia ordered the cancellation of the deed of donation issued by then governor Hilario Davide III, now incumbent vice governor, in favor of HPG. Garcia’s decision was anchored on the audit memorandum of the Commission on Audit (COA), stating that the donation of the 675-square meter prime property along Gorordo Avenue did not have its approval.

“We are not private persons donating one property to another. We must abide by existing local government code rules as well as COA rules. The donation itself never pass approval from COA that is the basic defect,” Garcia told officials of HPG-7 during their meeting last Wednesday.

 Since her return to the Capitol in 2019, Garcia has been putting so much effort in recovering the properties donated by her predecessor. Among the properties already recovered by the provincial government include tower buildings at the I.T. Park in Lahug. — FPL (FREEMAN)