Busay councilman asks court to stop city gov’t-UHRI JVA signing
Developing eight hectares of Kawit Island in the South Road Properties (SRP) into an integrated resorts, called Isla dela Victoria, may be put to a halt once again.
This developed after Busay Barangay Councilman Amilo Lopez filed a petition for injunction for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) to prevent the Cebu City Government from signing a joint venture agreement (JVA) with the Universal Hotels and Resorts Inc. (UHRI).
Lopez filed his petition before Branch 23 of the Regional Trial Court in Cebu City on Tuesday morning, three days before Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is set to sign the contract with UHRI at Ortigas in Metro Manila.
In his 10-page petition, the village councilman stated that UHRI, a development arm of the Gokongwei-led JG Summit Holdings Corp., is not qualified financially and technically on carrying out an P18-billion development project through a joint venture.
Lopez added that UHRI’s ineligibility to enter into a JVA with the city government runs contrary with City Ordinance No. 2154 or also known as the Ordinance Prescribing Guidelines and Procedures for Entering into JVAs.
He also said that the two-day session of the city council held last August 7 and 8 did not authorize Osmeña to sign the contract.
“The propriety of the inclusion in the agenda of Councilor Eugenio Gabuya Jr.’s proposed resolution was timely raised by Councilor Jose Daluz III,” Lopez said in the document.
“This ultimately led to the ruling of the Presiding Officer (Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella) that the resolution can no longer be tackled as to do so would give retroactive effect to the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s (city council) Rules of Procedure. After the ruling, the session was adjourned,” he added.
Sought for his comments, Osmeña said he is willing to postpone the signing of the JVA if the court will grant Lopez’ a TRO.
“It’s only a few days. It’s temporary, but we don’t want to have that,” said Osmeña.
But he criticized the opposition United Barug Team Rama, where Lopez is allied with, on resorting to legal means on contesting the JVA.
“Nangita lang sila ug technical disqualification. But that it is not acceptable as an answer because Gokongwei (John Gokongwei) is considered among the wealthiest in the Philippines,” Osmeña said.
“They don’t have the financial capacity even if they owned around 60 big jets, and they cannot afford to develop eight hectares of property? They are fooling the Cebuanos,” he added.
The city government has also invited all officials to attend the ceremonial signing of the JVA in Crown Plaza Galleria, including those from the opposition.
But Cebu City Vice Mayor Edgar Labella told reporters in a separate press conference that their group has no intention to attend the event.
“If we will be there, it will run contrary to our stand (that the JVA is not valid),” Labella explained.