City Council: Resort in Punta Taytay violates laws

THE Bacolod City Council said Thursday that a resort owned by Metro Safari resort owner Rey Francis Cabuga located in Barngay Punta Taytay has violated laws being enforced by government agencies.

The City Council’s committee on laws, ordinances and good government conducted a hearing Thursday which was led by Chairman Councilor Caesar Distrito.

The hearing was in connection with the complaint filed by former Punta Taytay village chief Rufino Alcala, now head of the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO), and councilman Glen Mark Pacheo and former councilwoman Angela Daguno.

The three complained about Cabuga’s denial to allow a portion of his property to be used as an access road for the fisherfolk in the village.

Based on the inspection and investigation by the City Legal Office led by Atty. Cesar Beloria and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Cabuga has encroached on the foreshore area by 30 meters despite the lack of a DENR-approved foreshore lease agreement (FLA).

The committee hearing also revealed that Cabuga’s group have no Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC) and permit from the Office of the Building (OBO) official for the swimming pool that they have constructed in the area.

The Environmental Management Bureau has issued only a Certificate of Non-Coverage (CNC) which is for the construction of a restaurant.

If they are constructing or developing a resort, they don’t need a CNC but an ECC, said Vicente Lospañes, officer-in-charge of EMB in Bacolod.

Distrito added that they have not secured an ECC for the reclamation project in the area.

OBO head Engr. Isidro Sun said they will issue a notice of violation with a corresponding order of work stoppage to the property owner.

Mushroom Realty Development Corporation’s official Janamine Daclizon, who represented Cabuga together with Catherine Cabuga, said they have not violated the law because they have asked somebody from Punta Taytay to facilitate all the permits on their behalf.

“We have all the documents to show that we have not encroached on the foreshore area because there was a typographical error in the lot number. The DENR also used a different reference point were the involved properties were only two. We bought three properties and we are sure that we have not encroached on the foreshore area,” she said.

She added that all fishermen who complained were paid either P100,000, P50,000 or P57,000.

Distrito said he will make a committee report and submit it to the City Council for appropriate action. (CNC)

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