CPA HQ | Photo courtesy of the Cebu Port Authority
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Cebu Port Authority, or CPA has stepped up its condemnation against Cebu City government officials for forcibly entered its premises last April 1.
This after the CPA filed administrative complaints against Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama at the Office of the President, which was facilitated by the office of the Department of Interior and Local Government in Central Visayas (DILG-7).
The charges include oppression, misconduct in office, gross negligence, dereliction of duty, and abuse of authority. These allegations arise from what the CPA describes as “impermissible encroachment” into its territory, “deliberate and flagrant disregard” of its authority, and “obstinate disobedience and resistance” to a preliminary injunction from the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 10.
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The 34-page complaint was filed on April 29 by CPA Officials at the DILG 7 Regional Office in Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City.
“Mao ning among gipasaka sa Office of the President para dili na gyod mausab. Mao nay among dinaliang hangyo nga dili na samokon pag-usab ang atoang kagamhanan sa Cebu Port Authority,” Cebu Port Authority General Manager Francisco Comendador said.
(That is what we filed at the Office of the President so that they will not repeat it. That is why we are requesting the local government not to bother anymore Cebu Port Authority.)
Last April 1, City Mayor Michael Rama and personnel from the Office of the Building Official (OBO), Prevention Restoration Order Beautification and Enhancement (PROBE), and Cebu City Legal Office marched to the CPA compound.
Their mission was to check reports of construction work behind the National Museum, even though they had been told to stop.
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On March 8, Rama ordered City Hall officials to stop the construction of a port at the back of the National Museum after the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) failed to secure a building permit.
The mayor even slammed the CPA for the lack of “decency” and “courtesy” due to its failure to update his office about its project situated within the city’s territorial waters.
However, despite the call of Rama to stop the construction, the CPA did not seem to heed his order and continued its project construction.
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./ with reports from Kim Ablaña