Jose Abad Santos Municipal Mayor Jayson John Joyce in the province of Davao Occidental, together with other municipal personnel, dismantled the barricade which was allegedly installed by a barangay captain on one of the vital passage ways for the public.
Joyce, in a phone interview with SunStar Davao Wednesday, July 10, said the dismantling of the barricade paved the way for the students to freely pass through the pathway located on a land owned by the family of Barangay Balangonan Captain Ofelia Garay.
However, the mayor said the land was already donated by the Garays to Kalahi-Cidss of the Department of Social Welfare and Development, making it a government property.
“Naa na kanay complete documents nga nagpamatuod nga donated na na nila (We have documents to show that the lot was donated),” Joyce said.
He said that since the barricade was dismantled, students were freed from the burden of passing through another route that is a bit farther. Aside from the distance, the other road, Joyce said, is being made a street toll business by the barangay captain collecting P20 for every motorist that passes by.
“Looy kaayo ang mga estudyante kay kung muagi ilang gisakyan nga tricycle or sila mismo magmotor going to school magbayad man silag baynte (Students are made to pay P20 for riding a tricycle if they pass by on the other road),” he said.
However, Garay, in a text message, denied the claim of the mayor, saying she did not ask for the people who pass by their property for a toll fee.
“Sa pag-adto niya sa akong barangay nagkita mi sa karsada nga dili kana public road ug kay wala man na gitrabaho sa goberno mao kung dunay muhatag og boluntaryo nga hinabang mao lang ang akong ginadawat ug wala ko magpabayad sa mga katawhan sa akong barangay (That road is not public and the government did not act on it. I only receive what is given voluntarily),” Garay said.
She also clarified that they did not donate the property to the Kalahi-Cidss yet, underscoring that although they have been mulling to donate a property to the government, but with what is happening now, they will no longer donate any property.
“Kanang karsadaha dili na mao ang among i-donate. Layo ra sa tinood (That’s not the road we were to donate. That’s far from the truth),” she said.
Garay also claims that the mayor holds grudges to anyone who does not support him.