The Cebu City Council, voting 12-2, passed a resolution declaring W. Geonzon St. in barangay Apas a public road.
The move is seen to favor Filinvest, which has been lobbying for access into the I.T. Park. where it is constructing a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) complex.
“Since then up to now it has been used as a public road, we are just showing a sentiment of barangay Apas to declare the road as a public road,” Councilor Sisinio M. Andales, one of the authors of the resolution, said.
The declaration would pave the way for the Cebu City Traffic Operations Management (Citom) to oversee traffic flow in the area which traverses the Cebu IT Park.
Citom earlier said its action was limited because the road was privately owned and titled to Cebu Property Venture s and Development Corp. (CPVDC), which is a rival of Filinvst.
Andales, took the side of the Alliance of Barangay Apas Community Association, whose members said they fear that the private owner, CPVDC, would close the road and prohibit the public from passing through.
Geonzon St. is one of the main entrances to Cebu IT Park and is part of a jeep route under City Ordinance 2000, or the Travel Line Ordinance.
Oppositors to the measure argued that the move would be contrary to law as it would deprive CPVDC of its property rights.
Councilor Nestor Archival said it was beyond the counci’s power to declare W. Geonzon St. a public road and was “tantamount to land-grabbing.” /USJ-R intern Chens Judale Plenos
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