By LITO RULONA Correspondent COUNCILOR Leon Gan yesterday sounded alarm bells over a new city ordinance that would allow city hall to review the controversial “piso-piso” program and make its beneficiaries pay for the lots granted to them by the local government. Gan said virtually threw out City Ordinances nos. 9888-2005 and 10046-2006 that established city hall’s Comprehensive Socialized Housing Program for the underprivileged and homeless citizens, otherwise know as the “piso-piso” program of the Emano administration. The “piso-piso” was a scheme that allowed beneficiaries to acquire lots for a token of P1.00 each. “Dako kaayo akong supak niana nga pag-repeal nila apan pildi man kami permi sa voting,” Gan said. He said the new measure, Ordinance no. 13178-2016, approved by the city council in Dec. 19, 2016, meant that city hall would review the list of “piso-piso” beneficiaries and then make them pay for the lots. Gan questioned the new ordinance, saying it violated a basic law because city hall and the “piso-piso” beneficiaries already forged an agreement. “Duna na kita’y kasabutan sa mga tawo gikan sa lokal nga pangagamhanan nga nanimuyo anang piso-piso program. Pagsulod nila, piso ra gayud ang ilang pagabayaran. Kung imo kining usabon prejudicial na kana alang sa mga tawo,” Gan said. He said the Moreno administration should respect the agreement between the previous administration and the “piso-piso” beneficiaries. He said the Moreno adminbistration can opt to get rid of the “piso-piso” program if its wanted to, and then establish a new program. “Mahimo man nga wala-on na nato ang ‘piso-piso’ unya ang bag-o programa ana’a na’y bayad,” Gan said. If city hall forces the issue, he said, the “piso-piso” beneficiaries can bring the local government to court. Councilor Zaldy Ocon, chairman of the city council’s committees on urban and rural poor, and housing development, confirmed that city hall would review the list of “piso-piso” program beneficiaries, and that they would be asked to pay for the lots so that they could be given land ownership titles. According to Ocon, the problem with the “piso-piso” is that beneficiaries were not given land ownership titles by the Emano administration. “Tinuod na gyud nga lot title among ihatag dili certificates of occupancy that were issued before,” Ocon said. Based on the new ordinance, beneficiaries would be entitled to only one lot each. The ordinance also clearly identifies those who can qualify for the program: those adversely affected by government infrastructure projects; those who are living along riverbanks and creeks, and who are on roadight-of-way; families ordered ejected by courts or who are affected by demolition orders; households in the Socialized Housing Registration master list; and landless city hall employees, among others. A clause in the ordinance provides that awarded lots are not transferable except through hereditary succession, and if the beneficiary has no legitimate descendant or ascendant, the lot ownership would revert back to city hall. It also provides that a beneficiary who sells, transfers, leases or disposes of his rights and/or acts as broker or middleman becomes disqualified from any city hall shelter or resettlement program. This also applies to those who allow other persons who are not immediate members of their families to occupy and stay in the awarded lot.