By Dominique Gabriel G. Bañaga

Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson yesterday confirmed construction on the P130-million Eleuterio T. Decena Memorial Hospital extension building in Hinoba-an was suspended due to an ownership issue.
According to provincial administrator, Atty. Rayfrando Diaz, the owner of the one-hectare piece of land where the extension is being constructed filed a complaint and barred the passage of ambulances and construction vehicles. Upon further investigation, the provincial official confirmed there was no title granted to the province.
He confirmed that Eleuterio Decena, the original donor, provided the land to the Department of Health and not the provincial government.
“We suspended the construction because we want to settle all legal documents,” Diaz explained. “We are asking the heirs of the former donor [to] have the donated area transferred to the province.”
“We want the legal papers rectified and a new deed of donation [to] be secured by the province,” he insisted.
Meanwhile, Lacson assured construction will proceed as soon as the legal papers are in place./DGB, WDJ