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CEBU CITY, Philippines – Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña on Monday ordered the city administrator to “let go” of the issue on the possible recall of the building permit of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) in Sitio (district) Sudlon, Barangay (village) Apas, Cebu City.
Osmeña gave the order after City Administrator Francisco Fernandez informed him that the newly built police building would not affect the road network project of the Cebu City government.
“Tommy (Osmeña) said there is no need for a recall and he has no objection to the project already. He said that if it is not affecting the road project, let it go,” Fernandez said.
Fernandez inspected the area on Monday on orders of the mayor who is in the United States to undergo treatment for urinary bladder cancer.
Osmeña said he deliberately sat on the issuance of the permit because of another city project - a road network, which would connect barangays Guadalupe and Lahug.
He said he thought that the CPPO building would be affected by the bridge.
“It would have been very tragic if they built that structure there (inside the existing compound),” Fernandez said as the road network proposed by the former mayor Alvin Garcia would cut across that property.
The new building for the provincial police was built about 200 meters across the existing building and would not be affected by the lot expropriation for the road right of way.
Fernandez said the stir over the police building permit was “moot and academic and a brouhaha over nothing.”
He said the city government won't recall the permit and the building which is already 80 percent finished.
Fernandez said city officials also have to improve the communication system among the department heads to avoid the report of what he described as a miscommunication.
He said there was really a miscommunication when acting Mayor Michael Rama signed the application of the building permit, even if it was put on hold by Osmeña on suspicion that it would be affected by the road project.
Fernandez also warned the contractor not to violate conditions of the building permit such as violation of the zoning ordinance and building specification of the OBO or the permit would be suspended.
“If the CPPO building does not violate any, then I don't see any reason why (the permit has to be recalled) on top of that road network. But if OBO finds a violation of any of the condition there (in the building permit), then that would be ground for suspension of their building permit,” Acting Mayor and Cebu City Councilor Hilario Davide III said.
Fernandez said that the city should also investigate why they built the structure without acquiring the building permit first and if they are complying with the city's rules on building a structure.
Ylanan said that it was illegal if the law would be strictly followed for them to start construction of the CCPO building without first securing a building permit.
But she said that it was usually done in government projects because of the excuse of time that it had to be finished quickly and as long as the documents will follow. /Reporter Marian Z. Codilla with a report from Correspondent Jhunnex Napallacan
