CPA continues project construction despite Rama’s stoppage order

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama orders installation of a biofence around CPA’s port project near City Hall, halting construction due to permit issues. | Photo by Cebu City News and Information

CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu Port Authority (CPA) continues its project construction despite Mayor Michael Rama’s order for its stoppage due to permit issues.

Mary Knoll Lagu-Bolasa, CPA information officer, confirmed with CDN Digital that they were still continuously working on the port project.

This project is located behind the former Malacañang sa Sugbo, now the National Museum, and stretches towards the bayfront area near the Compania Maritima.

READ: Rama stops CPA port project due to permit issues

Despite the call of Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama to stop the construction on March 8, the CPA did not seem to heed its order.

Moreover, CDN tried to reach Rama for his comments and insight on the matter, but the mayor refused to give any further comments.

However, he assured that Cebu City would “definitely do something about the issue.”

“Dili nako kinahanglan pang makig-away nila. [Now] dili ko kailangan musulti unsa akong buhaton pero naa mi buhaton,” he said.

(I don’t need to fight with them. [Now] I don’t need to say what I will do but, definitely, we will do something.)

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Meanwhile, it can be recalled that the national government with CPA as the representative sued City Hall way back on July 7, 2015, asking the Regional Trial Court to stop the city government from exercising acts of ownership over the Compania Maritima property and to declare its tax declaration void.

Further, in August of last year, the Carbon Market redevelopment being undertaken caused issues because a portion of the project falls within the area that the court ruling says belong to the CPA.

Last October, Rama criticized CPA for starting to build a supposed 20-floor building between Compania Maritima and Malacañang sa Sugbo, now a museum under the care of the National Museum of the Philippines.

Rama then said the project that started with fencing the Maritima area was “condemnable, an affront to the city government,” adding that the city would “fight for heritage, culture, and the environment.”

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