The Department of Public Works and Highways is asking the Office of the Court Administrator to expedite the expropriation proceedings filed before the Tagaytay Regional Trial Court over the right-of-way problems of the Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange as part of the P35.7-billion Cavite Laguna Expressway project.
Mayor Kevin Anarna of Silang, Cavite in a meeting with DPWH Public-Private Partnership Service director Alex Bote said Public Works Secretary Manuel Bonoan would request the OCA to speed up the expropriation proceedings filed before the local court.
“We’re preparing a letter to the Office of Court Administration to fast-track the acquisition process,” Bote said.
The director of PPP Service of DPWH also asked the assistance of the local government unit of Silang to settle the ROW deadlock so that the project would be operational by the first quarter of 2023.
“It will be a big help if the court will accept our deposit and issue a writ of possession,” Bote said, referring to their P5-million initial payment based on the rough estimate the agency’s engineers conducted as stipulated in Republic Act No. 10752 or the Road Right of Way Act.
Under the OCA Circular No. 113-2019, the RTC should immediately issue a writ of possession within seven working days upon the deposit to the court of the amount equivalent to the sum of 100 percent of the value of the land based on the current relevant zonal valuation of the Bureau of Internal Revenue issued not more than three years prior to the filing of the expropriation complaint.
“What we are asking is that we are given the chance to deposit the check that we hold and issue and reinstate the power of writ of possession.
Anarna assured the DPWH and MPCALA of the town’s help in resolving the ROW issues of the CALAX Silang (Aguinaldo) Interchange.
“We are awaiting for these issues to be settled 100 percent. Our economy will further grow once CALAX Silang is opened,” the mayor said, adding that property values in the area already appreciated with the upcoming operation of the CALAX project.
“When it’s announced that it will open in December, land value immediately appreciated,” Anarna said.
Bote said the fifth of the eight segments of CALAX spanning 3.9 kilometers from Silang East Interchange to Aguinaldo Highway, was 64.8-percent complete.
One critical portion to finish the construction of the interchange is the undelivered ROW of about 450 meters of land, which is owned by a private corporation.
The ROW issues prevent the progress of continuous works, including construction of drainage and bridge, excavation and roadway earthworks and installation of fence and coco net.
“We only have two remaining properties for acquisition, but that’s already in court for some time,” Bote said.
The pending legal issues moved the target date of the project’s opening several times.
“By now, we can’t make it by December. But we’re still hoping that we can complete. For example, we can settle the issue within the month, definitely Februach or March of 2023, Aguinaldo [interchange] will be operational,” Bote said.
Upon completion, the interchange will serve more motorists, including the 298,000 Silang residents, given the reduced traffic situation.