CEBU CITY – If given the chance, Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he wants to talk to Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, one-on-one, about the fate of residents living on Province-owned lots in the city.
No other personalities need to be involved, he said. It will just be a dialogue between two local chief executives.
Capitol spokesperson lawyer Rory Jon Sepulveda welcomed the development.
"Then it would only be proper that we leave it to the top executives to chart and navigate a mutually acceptable and beneficial solution to all concerned," Sepulveda said in a text message.
Governor Garcia was not available for comment Wednesday afternoon.
When asked why it took him six months after becoming mayor to open the possibility of a one-on-one dialogue with the governor, Rama said there were already "players" before he came into the picture as the chief executive.
Rama, though, refused to name the so-called players.
Garcia and Representative Tomas Osmeña (Cebu City, south district), the former Cebu City mayor, have been at odds with each other since the breakdown of the land swap deal involving the provincial lots covered by Ordinance 93-1, which are scattered in 11 barangays in Cebu City.
"Personalities should never be a reason for prejudice, especially against those in a state of discomfort," said Rama, talking about the 93-1 beneficiaries.
"It is incumbent upon me to take an active role as the mayor of Cebu, to look after the general welfare of the constituency. I am willing to present the possibility of sitting down for a one-on-one talk with the governor," said Rama.
A few months ago, Governor Garcia said she would be willing to revisit talks if the anti-Provincial Government signs at the South Road Properties (SRP) are removed.
Rama said he does not want to tackle this anymore.
He wants to have the dialogue with the governor before the New Year, buy without the fault-finding.
"My office would like to make it very clear -- we don't want to go back on issues like who was at fault. It's not a question of who was at fault because there was no one who was at fault," said Rama.
Osmeña has previously blamed Rama for the falling-out with the Province.
Then-vice mayor Rama, in a privilege speech in 2006, questioned the fairness of the proposed land exchange between the Cebu City and Provincial Government.
The City was supposed to swap a smaller commercial property in the North Reclamation Area, with the lots covered by Ordinance 93-1.
Through that ordinance, the Province gave occupants the opportunity to pay for and acquire the parcels they had built their homes on. Not everyone has paid in full, however.
Rama said he is also happy that President Benigno Aquino III and Interior and Local Government Secretary Jesse Robredo are going to talk about the 93-1 beneficiaries, reportedly today.
This will not dictate his intention to sit down with Governor Garcia, he said, adding he does not want to wait for developments at the national level before his administration does something.
Sun.Star archives show that Osmeña, as mayor, first brought up the land swap proposal in 2004. In March 2006, when Rama asked questions about the deal, Osmeña urged the council to "shut up" while he tried to re-negotiate with the Province.
