City Hall willing to buy lot where Tres de Abril marker stands

The University of the Visayas Dance Group performs a reenactment of the uprising at the actual battle site in V. Rama Avenue and Tres de Abril Street. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

CEBU City Hall is ready to either negotiate or buy the lot where the marker identifying the site of the Battle of Tres de Abril is located, Mayor Michael Rama said yesterday.

“I don’t know whether negotiation can bear fruit or we can go for expropriation. But why go to expropriation if we can discuss matters reasonably, fairly?” Rama told reporters.

Yesterday’s ceremony commemorating the 118th anniversary of the historic Cebuano uprising against Spanish rule was held at the lot located in the junction of V. Rama Avenue and Tres de Abril Street in Cebu City.

It was attended by city officials and City Hall employees. A Mass was held prior to the floral offering ceremony.

A reenactment of the battle was presented by the University of the Visayas Dance Group.

Mayor Rama said the city will continue to work in acquiring the lot.

He said he hopes the lot owner is willing to donate the lot to the city government.

“But if not, we can negotiate to have it. And I’m willing to have it bought,” he said.

In his speech, Rama called on city residents to adhere to the ideals and aspirations of those who fought against Spanish rule.

He also asked the crowd to vote for competent officials in the coming elections.

“Let us all stand and defend the truth and vote for competent, fit, educationally grounded, loyal to country and God-fearing candidate,” he said.

In a separate interview, Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC) Commissioner Pax Pacaña said there were no updates on the plan to acquire the lot where the marker stands.

The marker, with a flagpole beside it, is located in front of an emission-testing center which is leased by the owner.

“We will discuss this again with CHAC. We will follow up on how we can contact the owner,” he said. Rama said he heard the owner went overseas already.

He recalled another plan to transfer the marker in another permanent site, but Pacaña said this still needs thorough discussion with the CHAC and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

Pacaña said the current area is where the battle led by Pantaleon Villegas or “Leon Kilat” took place 118 years ago.

He lamented that the current state of the marker and the nearby monument of Leon Kilat riding a horse seemed to have been ignored by people.

Leon Kilat, a Katipunero of Negros Oriental, led a group of Cebuanos from Barangay San Nicolas on April 3, 1898  in a bloody fight against Spanish authorities who were forced to retreat to Fort San Pedro.