SWAT drawn to community polls

A POLICE Swat team rushed to a subdivision in Cebu City to prevent a conflict between security agencies dragged into “an internal problem” of the developer and their joint venture partner.

The padlocking of the gate to the Alta Vista property was what triggered the elite Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team’s response.

Acting Cebu City Police Director Mariano Natuel Jr. said the Aznars and Sta. Lucia have been fighting for control over some portions of the Alta Vista in Pardo, Cebu City, causing both parties to send their own security agencies.

Natuel said that the Smartwise Security Agency hired by the Aznars reportedly padlocked the entrance to Alta Vista yesterday dawn, which meant that employees and residents of the nearby subdivision couldn’t get out, while those outside couldn’t enter either.

The Cebu Niño Security Agency hired by Sta. Lucia also went to the area, tried to guard the place and questioned the other guards for padlocking the gate.

When the police arrived at the Alta Vista gate at 7 a.m. yesterday, they spoke with the Aznar representatives, who eventually agreed to open the gates.

Natuel said there should only be one security agency to guard the area.

“They just had an internal problem. Out na mi ana basta lang wala lay gubot (The police are now out of it, but we just wanted to make sure there was no trouble),” said Natuel.

Lawyer Victor Maambong, a representative of the Aznars, said there were issues between the developer and the Aznars.

“The security contractor (Smartwise) has all the legal documents to prove that what they did was legal,” said Maambong, when asked about the padlocking incident.

The Aznars reportedly owned a 450-hectare lot in the area and set aside a portion that Sta. Lucia could develop as a joint venture.

Now, both parties are wrangling over their rights to the property.

No one was injured during the incident.

Sun.Star Cebu tried to speak with a Sta. Lucia representative, to no avail.

Pardo Police Chief Jul Muhammad Jamiri said that last week, Sta. Lucia requested greater police visibility for the property yesterday, in time for the election of officers.

“Every time they have an election, they request police assistance because of their internal problem,” explained Jamiri.

He said he sent six policemen to the area.