Sunday, August 15, 2004 City map favors Lahug By Rene H. Martel Sun.Star Staff Reporter
A JOINT survey to define their boundaries is the best way to solve the conflict between Barangays Luz and Lahug in their opposing claims to the property where Waterfront Hotel and Casino now stands.
So said Cebu City Planning Officer Nigel Paul Villarete, who sits in the zoning board, adding that the survey will consider other aspects like existing plans and the opinion of residents in the disputed area.
And if no agreement is reached, the Cebu City Council, which has the final say, must decide what are the boundaries of the two barangays, he said.
But a check with the Cebu City website showed Archbishop Reyes Ave. as the two barangays’ boundary.
That means the contested area, which is from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) 7 compound up to the end of that block, belongs to Lahug.
Road rules
The map, created by the City Geographic Information System (GIS) center, was based on data from the City Planning and Development Department.
In most cases in similar disputes all over the country, the “acceptable way of defining the boundary is through the roads or highways.”
Villarete said, however, that his office is still verifying which map defines the boundaries of Cebu City barangays.
Luz Barangay Captain Nemesio Pagador Jr., in a separate interview, also said he and his fellow officials are not trying to pick a fight with Lahug.
His councilors were just trying to do their job by staking a claim on the area, where Luz and not Lahug delivers services like garbage collection, Pagador said.
Residents in the area, he added, also go to Luz and not to Lahug when asking for aid like free medicine.
Pagador said their claim has nothing to do with politics and no politician egged them to do it.
Pagador, like all current city councilors, is allied with the administration party Bando Osmeña-Pundok Kauswagan.
Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann delos Santos, on the other hand, is not on good terms with Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who heads the party.
Pagador claimed the City website’s map is not accurate and just based on Commission on Election records, not on the old maps.
Pagador and fellow officials said the barangay is claiming the property because it used to be part of Sitio Wakwak, Luz.
Delos Santos, in an earlier interview, said Lahug will fight any move to take the disputed area from their jurisdiction.
Pagador admitted that Luz wanted to earn more income from taxes on establishments in the area, and that this was the primary reason for their claim. RHM
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