DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/10 April) — Vice Mayor Paolo Z. Duterte assured there would be no delay in the paperwork necessary for the building of an P8-billion sports complex at the University of the Philippines Mindanao in Mintal, days after residents claiming part of the land said the project could interrupt their livelihood.
“It is our duty in the Council to scrutinize the provisions of the MOU (Memorandum of Understanding). We will likewise look into the claim of the families which will be affected. We will conduct public consultations and hearings.
“We know the great benefits of having a Sports Complex and we too want this, but we yield to the greater demand of our duty to ensure that the provisions of the MOU will not be disadvantageous to the City.
“You can be assured, I repeat, that there will be no delay. What we want is to assurance that there will be no blame or regret in the end. We are confident that the executive will respect the procedure of the legislative to matters relating to public interest such as this,” Duterte said at his official Facebook account.
Duterte was reacting to the statement of Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, who was quoted Wednesday as saying he did not recognize the land claims of at UP Mindanao.
“Everybody knows that is government reservation. These claimants do not have titles,” Mayor Duterte said.
“I do not recognize these claimants. For public interest and the education of the children, you have to vacate the area,” he said.
Mayor Duterte said the claimants would likely be asked by the city government to relocate to a lot at Los Amigos in nearby Tugbok.
UP Mindanao administrators, however, said they did not intend to displace the claimants and were willing to work with them for a workable and sustainable livelihood program.
In a telephone interview Wednesday, UP Mindanao vice chancellor for administration Antonio Obsioma said the school was working on a humane approach and has continuously asked claimants in the area for a dialogue. “But they never show up.”
The city council earlier this week said it was already considering building the complex at another area if UP could not show the city government details on the project as well as its plans for the claimants there. (MindaNews)
