Wednesday, December 05, 2007
‘No politics’ in boundary changes
CEBU City Planning Officer Nigel Paul Villarete defended his recommendations on settling Barangay Lahug’s boundary conflict with its neighbors, saying they were based on “engineering and scientific methodology,” not on politics.
What he rendered were technical results, he said, so Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos should refute or contradict these “technically, not legally.”
De los Santos questioned Villarete’s recommendations, which tended to favor Barangays Luz, Busay, Apas and Camputhaw, and threatened to sue the City.
Mayor Tomas Osmeña, as recommended by the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), favored Luz in its request to declare within its jurisdiction the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino and the Grand Convention Center, among other establishments.
Last October, he asked the City Council to approve an ordinance “declaring the proper delineation of boundaries between Barangay Luz and Lahug,” in a move that could strip the barangay of some of its largest taxpayers.
The request was referred to the committee of three, which is composed of south district city councilors.
Competing claims
In the barangay maps posted in the City Government’s website, Waterfront and Grand Convention fall within Lahug.
The same is true for the Marco Polo Plaza Hotel in Nivel Hills, the Asiatown IT Park and Parklane Hotel.
However, Barangay Busay wants to claim Marco Polo, while Apas believes it should have Asiatown IT Park’s taxes. Camputhaw insists Parklane falls within its territory.
Although the mayor only endorsed Luz’s request, the CPDO’s recommendation virtually favored the barangays with which Lahug has a boundary conflict.
The CPDO placed Parklane Hotel under Camputhaw, Asiatown IT Park under Apas and Marco Polo Plaza Hotel under Busay.
It rejected the traditional way of setting boundaries by using Archbishop Reyes Ave. as boundary line, saying the Grand Convention and Waterfront are closer to Luz’s barangay hall.
It also gave weight to Luz’s collecting garbage and keeping the peace in the area.
However, the CPDO, which Villarete heads, used Salinas Drive as boundary between Lahug and Apas so that the IT Park falls within Apas’ territory.
De los Santos questioned the manner with which the CPDO came up with its recommendation, and threatened to bring the matter to court.
Villarete, though, believes de los Santos’ objections are “not only premature but also lack the contents of rudiments in determining boundaries.”
In a separate interview, Vice Mayor Michael Rama said he will ask the committee of three about the progress they have made on Osmeña’s request.
He said that what recommendation the committee will come up with will still be scrutinized on its merits. (RHM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (December 5, 2007 issue)
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