Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella is calling for the investigation of the demolition of the Sugbo Building, the former office of the administrator of the South Road Properties. / CDN FILE PHOTO
CEBU CITY, Philippines—Cebu City Mayor Edgardo Labella wants to investigate the demolition of the Sugbo Building, which is located within the South Road Properties (SRP).
In a phone interview with CDN Digital, Labella revealed that the Gokongwei-led Universal Hotel and Resorts Inc. (UHRI), the developer of Kawit Island, was given a permit by the previous administration to demolish the government property.
The SRP administrator used to hold office inside the Sub Building. Currently, the SRP administrator holds office on the ground floor of the Cebu City Hall.
Under the procedures of the Commission on Audit (CoA), Labella said a government property needs to be appraise first to determine its value before a demolition can be ordered. He said the building can only be demolished if it is deemed to have no economic value.
Labella said he wants the City Legal Office to investigate whether the appraisal procedure was carried out or not.
“I heard the demolition started in June because they received a permit from the previous administration. But any demolition should have a COA appraisal,” said Labella.
Labella also said that the furniture items and fixtures in the building are all government properties which need to be accounted for.
He likened the demolition of the Sub Building to the move of former mayor Tomas Osmeña of stripping the Mayor’s Office office bare as furniture items, fixtures including the ceiling, glass dividers and tiles were nowhere to be found.
READ: Osmeña strips off his office of furnishings as he ends his term
“I hope this is not a continuation of what they did to the Mayor’s Office,” said Labella.
The City Legal Office already sent a letter to UHRI asking the company to explain the demolition.
Lawyer Rey Gealon, city legal officer, said they are still contemplating about filing legal actions as UHRI may still correct whatever lapses they have committed in relation to the demolition.
“What is primordial though is that the value of the building must be replicated with another building with at least the same value,” he said. / celr