Residents against Sun lease renewal

RESIDENTS of sitio Calvary Hill in barangay Apas are asking the owner of the lot on which the Sun Cellular cell site stands not to renew the lease contract with the telecommunications company.

Porponio Lapa, Jr., president of the Calvary Hills Apas Residents Organization (CHARO), said they learned in a meeting with the lot owner and some barangay officials last week that the lease contract of Sun Cellular for the lot expired last August 31.

“Now, who will decide to renew it or not? Is it just the owner alone? This is alarming because around 30 people have died already,” Lapa said during a public hearing yesterday on Sun Cellular’s appeal to continue operating a cellsite in the area.

He asked Apas barangay officials to verify whether the lease contract was renewed and to ask  City Hall not to issue a business permit for a cell site in the area.

The Cebu City Council earlier passed a resolution for the revocation of business permits  issued to Sun Cellular and Globe Telecom for cell sites in the  neighborhood, saying the structures caused harmful radiation and were put without public consultation with the community.

Globe Telecom has agreed to remove its tower while Sun Cellular appealed the revocation.

Apas barangay captain Ramil Ayuman said the lot owner, Dodong Hermosisima, begged off from attending the public hearing.  Sun was invited but there was no feedback received by the barangay.

“I think there is a need not to renew the application for renewal of the lease. We should invoke the general welfare clause under the Local Government Code,” Ayuman said during the public hearing at the Apas sports complex.

Apas barangay councilman Allan Majait said the barangay council will draft a resolution to formally ask the lot owner not to renew the lease contract with Sun Cellular.

Ayuman said Globe has asked to be given until December to remove its tower.

“Now, we just want assurance from them that they will really decommission the tower,” Ayuman said.

Lapa said they learned that at least three families are benefiting from the P50,000 monthly rent from Sun Cellular. They used to earn another P50,000 for the Globe cellsite.

The residents have been vigorously lobbying since last year for the removal of the two cellsite towers, which they blamed for cancer-related illnesses and death of residents living within the immediate vicinity of the towers.

In a position paper, the residents pointed out that their sitio is a residential area and is, thus, not suitable for cell site towers.

“In closing, I would like to appeal to the said telecommunication companies, please stop immediately your operations in our place. Our lives and health are more precious than the signals you are claiming beneficial to your subscribers. Listening to people’s clamor is your real corporate responsibility,” Lapa said in the position paper.