AFTER WITHDRAWING the case questioning the sale of lots at the South Road Properties (SRP), the Cebu City government now plans to tap the P2-billion consigned payment from developers that was blocked under the former administration. “The mayor (Edgardo C. Labella) acknowledges the validity of the sale. The city council already authorized the legal office to withdraw the petition for declaratory relief, so the city can also withdraw the amount,” Lawyer Jose C. Daluz III, special assistant to the mayor, told The Freeman. He explained that with the withdrawal of the petition, there is no legal impediment for the city to tap the money from the firms that bought a 26.3-hectare lot at the SRP. In 2017, Ayala Land, Inc., Cebu Holdings Inc. and SM Prime Holdings consigned to the court about P2 billion in payments after the previous administration refused to accept the second installment on the purchased lot. Former mayor Tomas R. Osmeña considered the sales “invalid” and “illegal” because of alleged defects in the transactions. Mr. Daluz said the administration of Mr. Labella is considering using the fund for the city’s second supplemental budget this year, which includes financial assistance for senior citizens and persons with disabilities, among others. — The Freeman

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