Wednesday, January 09, 2008 Trader in dispute By Lizanilla J. Amarga
A BUSINESSMAN related to City Councilor Alfonso Goking is illegally reclaiming some 1,000 square meter of land, which is adjacent to the former's property in Barangay Lapasan this city.
This was the accusation hurled by opposition City Councilor Teodulfo Lao against Conrad Lim, a local businessman and Goking's son-in-law, in his special report during their regular session last Monday.
Lao said the residents in the area are very angry at what Lim is doing that started out just last November 2007, but already the land that the latter is reclaiming has now reached some 1,000 square meters of what was once considered as a public beach.
"The residents want to retaliate and that was why the Lapasan barangay officials asked for my help," he said.
Lao who formerly served as barangay chairman for Barangay Lapasan for three consecutive terms recounted how Lapasan Barangay chairman Engineer Tony Olango called him up regarding Lim's activities.
"Gitambakan ni Conrad Lim kanang warag beach namo diha sa Lapasan para modako ang iyahang yuta (Lim poured out soil at our Lapasan beach to increase the size of his land property)," he said.
Lao said they immediately called up the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) to inquire whether Lim was able to secure the needed permit or authority to initiate such reclamation activities.
Also, he said they visited the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) particularly the Land Management Division to inquire whether Lim secured the necessary environmental clearances before he undertook the project.
"Both PRA and the DENR told us that there was no clearance given to anybody to initiate any reclamation activity in our barangay," he said.
Goking for his part stood up and hotly defended his son-in-law.
The city councilor said his son-in-law is a businessman who has helped the city a lot and that it is "unfair to prejudge him."
He said it was unfair for Lao to come up with a report at the plenary and to mention Lim's name considering that it should have gone through the proper committees such as the committee on land and estate and the committee on environment.
Majority Floor Leader City Councilor Ramon Tabor moved that Lao's special report be referred to the above two committees which are both under the chairmanship of Goking's partymates - land and estate committee being under City Councilor Reynaldo Advincula and the environment committee with Ian Acenas.
Lao told Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro Tuesday that he wanted to rebut Goking's arguments, but held his peace considering the latter's health condition.
He pointed out that to just turn a blind eye at what Lim is doing would be a "dangerous precedence" as land owners who owns properties adjacent to beaches would now follow Lim's footsteps.
"And this without even securing the proper permits and clearances from our concerned government agencies," he said.
