City Council bet backs halt on use of SRP proceeds

FORMER Bayan Muna secretary-general Arman Perez intervened in the case filed by a former prosecutor in relation to the use of the proceeds from the sale of lots at the South Road Properties (SRP).

Perez filed his complaint-in-intervention before Judge Alexander Acosta of the Regional Trial Court Branch 9 yesterday morning.

“Nothing political here. No one asked me to do this. Intervening in this case is part of my advocacy for good governance primarily involving the disbursement of public funds,” he said in an interview.

Perez, who is also executive director of Transparency and Accountability for Good Governance Empowerment and Development, filed a Certificate of Candidacy for a seat in the Cebu City Council.

Former Prosecutor Romulo Torres earlier asked the court to stop the Cebu City Council from appropriating funds from the P8.3 billion down payment it received from three developers of the SRP.

Torres, who filed the suit in his capacity as a “citizen and taxpayer,” said the money should not be spent nor appropriated by the city pending resolution of whether the mode of disposing the subject lots at the SRP by public bidding is valid.

He said City Council Ordinance No. 2332 which protects the SRP from “unlawful and unauthorized transactions and dealings” excludes the sale or disposition of property in the SRP by public auction.

Last week, Judge Acosta refused to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the Cebu City Council from appropriating the P8.3 billion payment the city received from SM Prime Holdings Inc., Ayala Lands Inc., and Filinvest Lands Inc.

In a pleading, Torres requested Judge Alexander Acosta of the Regional Trial Court Branch 9 in Cebu City to remand the case to Judge Geneorsa Labra who earlier chose to drop the case.

Labra voluntarily inhibited herself from handling the case, saying Torres is a “close friend.”