Saturday, August 14, 2004 2 barangays battle over turf for tax sources By Rene H. Martel
CEBU CITY -- A turf war is brewing between two Cebu City urban barangays over a parcel of land where a hotel and various businesses are situated.
Barangay Luz is asking the Cebu City Council to settle its claim over the property from the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda) 7 compound to the residence of D.O. Plaza at the end of that block.
Its May 3 barangay resolution specifically mentioned Waterfront Hotel and Casino as falling within Luz, not neighboring Barangay Lahug.
The dispute has tax implications. Barangays can tax sales of establishments within its territory, as well as collect at least 30 percent of the real property taxes taken from its area.
But in a telephone interview, a fuming Lahug Barangay Captain Mary Anne delos Santos said they will not give up the property no matter what.
"They cannot take it from us. We have to protect our jurisdiction no matter what the cost. You know what's the bottom line of this? It's greed! Nganong wa man na nila gi-claim sa una pa? (Why didn't they make their claim earlier?)," she said.
She said that while she wants to keep cordial relations with adjacent barangays, she will not take the affront sitting down.
In the resolution, which the City Council will tackle next week, Luz's officials argued the area used to be part of the barangay's Sitio Wakwak.
The hotel is also much nearer to the barangay hall of Luz than that of Lahug, the resolution said.
"In the absence of a clear boundary lines, some barangays tend to mislead the other by claiming some business establishments to be situated within their boundary," the resolution read.
It further stated that Luz is in a similar "dilemma" after Lahug claimed the hotel is within its jurisdiction.
But delos Santos said Lahug based its claim on the property on the 1965 Cebu City map.
According to her, the Luz-Lahug boundary was never altered by any ordinances and laws, local or national.
She added the natural boundary between the two barangays is Archbishop Reyes Ave., where Waterfront Hotel and Casino is situated on the Lahug side.
Delos Santos also took exception on the fact that although Luz made the resolution almost three months ago, it provided copies to Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeņa and the council without bothering to give one to her barangay.
"It is unfair that they furnished copies to the city mayor and the council but not me," she said.
She was surprised, saying she never knew such a Barangay Luz resolution existed, when Sun.Star called her up yesterday afternoon.
She promised to bring the matter to her councilors, adding they will likewise draft their own resolution countering Luz's claim.
The City council has 60 days from the date the matter was referred to the body to resolve the dispute and forge an amicable settlement.
If a settlement proves impossible, it should send a certification to the concerned parties to that effect.
After that, it has 60 more days to formally hear and settle the conflict.
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