City to assert rights to Arao property

AFTER private individuals recently barred Bacolod City's authorized contractor from entering the city's relocation project in Vista Alegre, the city is hell-bent on asserting its rights to enter the Arao property and to proceed with the development works for the relocation project.

The Composite Enforcement Team of the city legal office is expected to enter the city property on Tuesday, considering that the property now belongs to the city after it was bought and fully paid from the Arao family for approximately P132 million.

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Elwin Javelosa, president of Alfie's Construction & Construction Supply, the contractor of the road network project at the Granada-Vista Alegre Resettlement I and II, suspended the development works at the relocation site last March 2010 because his personnel and equipment were barred by private individuals from entering the premises.

The suspension of the development works delays the implementation of the relocation project.

The project faced another delay because the city officials later found out that majority of the land area intended for the project was planted with sugarcane by Diogracias dela Paz.

When dela Paz requested that he be allowed to harvest his canes before the project is implemented, Bacolod City Mayor Evelio Leonardia gave in to his appeal because of humanitarian reasons.

However, with the way events are transpiring now, the city is bent on entering the property because the development works have to be started as soon as possible.

Secretary to the Mayor Rodel Parcon earlier stressed that the city's ownership of that property is absolute.

The new relocation site will accommodate the informal settlers in the city whose names are included in the priority list of the Bacolod Housing Authority.