A LOWER court ruled in favor of Roger and Karen Sinot in the case of forcible entry and damage filed against Baguio City Mayor Mauricio Domogan and the Public Order and Safety Division.
A legal war is still ongoing over the property at Asin which the City claims, backed by court orders.
On March 21, the Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Tuba–Sablan under presiding judge Modesto Bahul Jr. ruled in favor of the Sinot couple ordering the City of Baguio through Domogan “to remove their improvements at their cost, to vacate and peacefully surrender to the plaintiffs the physical possession of the portion of the plaintiffs property located in Nangalisan, Tuba Benguet and covered by Tax Declaration (No. 2010-04-06-00798) that was encroached upon by the said defendants, and henceforth desist from disturbing plaintiffs possession of their said property.”
Bahul’s ruling said “the defendants are also ordered to pay jointly and severally said plaintiffs the amount of P20, 000 attorney’s fees.”
In a twelve-page decision, Bahul ordered the City to pay the Sinot's P50, 000 in exemplary damages, P150, 000 by way of actual damages and P30, 000 and P20, 000 per court appearance by way of attorney’s fees.
The Sinot couple sued the City last December 2018 for forced takeover, fencing and occupation of a portion of the disputed compound beyond the delineated property of Baguio.
Respondents for the petition are contractor, Juris Awal, Domogan in his capacity as the local chief executive of Baguio City and the city’s Public Order and Safety Division represented by its head, Policarpio Cambod.
The request is grounded on the Sinot couple’s claim that respondents’ usurped their property by putting “blockades and structure” within the portion of the complex they own.
Sinot has since sought help of the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) on issue surrounding a parcel of land in Asin.
Sinot has also asked CHR for the immediate assistance of the agency to resolve what he believes is a violation of human rights by the City Government of Baguio for the act of padlocking entrances in the contested Asin property.
Domogan said he has yet to receive the court decision on Sinot’s case.