Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama and political rival former City Mayor Tomas Osmeña is now ganging up on Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia on halting the construction of the Cebu Bus Rapid Transit (CBRT).

Rama has urged Cebu Provincial Government officials to stop meddling in the Cebu 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.

On the other hand, Osmeña threatened to sue Gwen over the stoppage of the CBRT works.

"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.

Garcia issued Memorandum No. 16-2024. The governor pointed out that ongoing construction of the CBRT has encroached portions of the buffer zones of the Cebu Provincial Capitol and Fuente Osmeña circle.

There were several laws on protecting and preserving heritage properties which include the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 or Republic Act No. 10066.

Osmeña in a press conference 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 " Serging" Osmeña Jr. used to own some lots from Juana Osmeña street to capitol.

"He ( Sergio Osmeña Jr.) 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 stressed.

Osmeña insisted that the provincial government with its provincial board and even the Cebu City has no authority to stop the CBRT, saying it's a national government project.

"We have leaders acting like spoiled brats," he added.

"It's very important not to insult the finders of a major assistance project because you're asking for trouble. Never mind trouble for yourself, it's the people that suffer," Osmeña reiterated.

After issuing the memorandum, Garcia, as of this writing, has not yet issued any public statement.

The Cebu Provincial Board in a resolution and adopted en masse said CBRT construction has contributed to the worsening traffic condition thus economic losses were recorded.

Governor Garcia reiterated that the Cebu Provincial Government owned the Osmeña Boulevard and its surrounding area from the Cebu Capitol Building to Fuente Osmena Rotunda.

She said that their ownership of the Osmeña Boulevard was the result of a land swap deal between the Cebu Provincial Government and the Cebu Heights Inc. that started in the late 1930s.

The subject of the deal was province's properties in Barangay Banilad and the lots along Osmeña under the Cebu Heights Inc.

However, the deal had controversies as Garcia revealed that the late governor Sergio Osmeña Jr. at the time was also president and principal stockholder of Cebu Heights Inc.

She insisted that because of the controversies, the properties were returned to their respective owners.

Garcia added that what remained was the road right-of-way, which persists to this day.