Thursday, July 24, 2008 Lahug given deadline on border row
BARANGAY Lahug has until tomorrow to comment on Barangay Luz’s boundary complaint before the Cebu City Council.
After that, the council’s committee of three will begin mediation proceedings between the two barangays to settle the conflict amicably.
But for Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Ann de los Santos, the city council is under pressure from Mayor Tomas Osmeña, who she said wrote the body to “act on it in favor of Luz.”
“That in itself shows bias for Luz…. (But) I will always respect the procedure and the law,” she said, adding that Lahug will submit itself to the council’s process.
She warned, though, that if they see they cannot hope to get equal treatment and fair play, they will bring the matter to court.
She reminded the council that it should hold a public hearing and a plebiscite and craft an ordinance mark out the boundaries of the two barangays.
In the council’s regular session yesterday, Vice Mayor Michael Rama said that Mayor Osmeña again reminded him of his formal request made nine months ago.
Approval
The mayor had written the council for it to approve an ordinance “declaring the proper delineation of boundaries between Barangay Luz and Lahug.”
Luz has requested that the block where the Cebu Grand Convention Center and the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino are situated be declared within its territory.
Councilor Gerardo Carillo, who heads the committee of three, said yesterday they already sent Lahug a copy of Luz’s resolution, including supporting affidavits of residents, for it to comment.
The deadline, he said, is tomorrow.
Comply
In a separate interview, de los Santos said they will submit their response within the prescribed period.
But what they received, she said, were copies of the Cebu City Planning and Development Office’s (CPDO) recommendation, that of the committee of three, Luz’s resolution, and Osmeña’s letter.
She said that the alleged attachments, particularly the affidavits of residents and the respondents of Luz’s survey, were not included.
As recommended by the CPDO, Osmeña favored Barangay Luz over Lahug in the debate over jurisdiction of the disputed area.
In barangay maps posted in the City Government’s website, however, the Waterfront Hotel and the Grand Convention Center fall within Lahug. (RHM)
