Cebu City judge inhibits from South Road Properties sale case

CEBU CITY, Philippines – A Cebu City judge inhibited himself from further hearing the case against the sale of land in Cebu City’s South Road Properties (SRP) area that happened 4 years ago. (READ: Cebu City council voids Cebu South Road Properties sale) 

Judge Soliver Peras notified the 15th Cebu City Council about his inhibition on its first session on Tuesday, July 9. 

Peras was the presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court, 7th Judicial Region, Branch 10 in Cebu City on the petition for declaratory relief with prayer for temporary restraining order and writ of preliminary injunction. 

The petition was filed by the City Council against SM Prime Holdings Incorporated, Ayala Land Incorporated, Cebu Holdings Incorporated, Filinvest Alabang Incorporated, Cyberzone Properties Incorporated, Anesy Holdings Corporation, IGold Holdings Corporation, and Betterfield Philippines Corporation.  

The city’s legislative body seeks “judicial determination that contracts involving the sale of certain lots located at the SRP owned by the City of Cebu to SM-Ayala Consortium and FilInvest Group are void ab initio” or invalid from the beginning.

Answering to the inquiry of Vice Mayor Michael Rama, the council said the petition is not the same declaratory relief that the Court of Appeals dismissed on April 30, 2019. (READ: Cebu City council voids Cebu South Road Properties sale) 

Peras’ order resolved that records of the case will be returned to the “Office of the Clerk of Court for re-raffling” and after that, that the case be deleted from the civil docket of the court. – Rappler.com