The Department of Public Works and Highways said Sunday it will request the Office of the Court Administrator to expedite the expropriation proceedings filed before a Cavite court over right-of-way problems of the P35.7 billion Cavite Laguna Expressway's Silang Interchange.

DPWH Public-Private Partnership Service Director Alex G. Bote said Secretary Manuel Bonoan committed to tapping the OCA to hasten the expropriation proceedings filed before the Tagaytay, Cavite Regional Trial Court.

He said the DPWH is now preparing a letter for the administrator of the court to fast-track the acquisition process.

"We're preparing a letter to the Office of Court Administration to fast-track the acquisition process," Bote said.

He also sought the assistance of the Silang local government in settling the project's right-of-way issues so it can be operational by the first quarter of 2023.

"It will be a big help if the court will accept our deposit and issue a writ of possession," Bote said, referring to the P5 million initial payment that will have to be made with the court.

The initial payment was based on the rough estimate of the agency's engineers as stipulated in Republic Act 10752 or the Road Right of Way Act.

Under the OCA Circular 113-2019, the RTC should immediately issue a writ of possession within seven working days upon receipt of the deposit amounting to the sum of 100 percent of the value of the land based on the current relevant zonal valuation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue which was issued not more than three years before the filing of the expropriation complaint.

"What we are asking for is that we be given the chance to deposit the held cheque and reinstate the power of writ of possession," he said.

The DPWH said the fifth of the eight segments of CALAX spanning 3.9 kilometers, which has a 2×2-lane expressway from Silang East Interchange to Aguinaldo Highway in Cavite, is now 64.8 percent complete.

Cavite Mayor Kevin Anarna met with Bote on 6 December to discuss the right-of-way status.