Cebu gov under fire over CBRT stoppage

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and former Mayor Tomas Osmeña have expressed opposition to the order of Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia to stop the construction of the proposed Cebu Bus Rapid Transit.

This comes after the incumbent Cebu City mayor previously urged Cebu Provincial Government officials to stop meddling in the city’s BRT project.

“Capitol officials should show due courtesy to the city and that they should focus on problems within their territorial jurisdiction,” Rama said.

Osmeña, on the other hand, threatened to sue the governor over the stoppage of the CBRT construction.

“If the governor would insist on stopping CBRT works on province-owned lots because that’s their property, I will say it’s not your property,” Osmeña said.

To recall, Garcia issued Memorandum 16-2024 as she pointed out that ongoing construction of the CBRT has encroached portions of the buffer zones of the Cebu Provincial Capitol and Fuente Osmeña Circle.

She stressed that there were several laws on protecting and preserving heritage properties which include the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 or Republic Act 10066.

However, Osmeña said that he would be willing to see the governor in court if the province insists to stop the civil works of the CBRT in some portions of the Osmeña Boulevard, recalling that his late father Sergio Osmeña Jr. used to own some lots from Juana Osmena Street to Capitol.

“He owned everything from Juana Osmeña up to Guadalupe... Osmeña Boulevard was donated by my father, even in the middle part of the lot occupied by the Capitol,” Osmeña said.

He insisted that the provincial government with its provincial board and even the local government of Cebu City has no authority to stop the CBRT, citing it’s a national government project.