Ex-city councilor scores costly purchase of dumpsite property
BACOLOD CITY – A former city councilor here has questioned the city government's purchase of a seven-hectare property in Brgy. Felisa worth P340 per square meter (sq.m.) to be used as a dumpsite.
The city has initially paid the Dynasty Agricultural Corp., owner of the property, the amount of P20 million last July 25, 2008 with the remaining balance of P3.8 million to be paid in a year.
Lawyer Archie Baribar, a former city councilor, said the P340 per sq.m. price is very expensive.
"Agricultural lands only cost P35 per sq.m.," he said.
Baribar also pointed out that the city could have expropriated the property instead of buying it at a very high price.
"The city has the power to file expropriation proceedings and why be afraid of the threat from the owner to close the dumpsite?" he said.
Dynasty Agricultural Corp. also owns the city's existing dumpsite which is just beside the newly-bought property.
"They should remember that the city has the power to expropriate. It's not about their threat to close it (existing dumpsite) because this involves public interest and the city has the power to expropriate the property," Baribar said.
He further said that, "With the kind of governance now, it seems that we are hurrying either to avail of a loan or to spend people's money. I thought they (city officials) are there to make sure that the resources of the government are spent wisely. What is happening now is that the city is engaging in unwise transactions."