A PRIVATE resort situated in Barangay Subabas-bas, Lapu-Lapu City, has been ordered to shut down operations for carrying out riprapping activities without a permit.
Mayor Junard “Ahong” Chan, in a press conference on Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, informed reporters that the City Government has issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against Zyrena Mactan Resort Hotel due to these unauthorized riprapping activities.
This decision followed an ocular inspection conducted by authorities and officials on Wednesday, Dec. 4, during which they discovered that the establishment was engaged in ongoing riprap work near the beach in preparation for a reclamation project.
Chan revealed that the resort lacks the necessary permit to conduct riprap work, rendering the activity illegal.
“When we arrived at the seaside area, there was ongoing riprap work and reclamation. When we verified with our engineering office, there was no permit,” Chan stated in a mix of Cebuano and English.
“If we are going to do reclamation, we need approval from the Philippine Reclamation Authority. We also need clearance from the City Council. Likewise, if we are going to conduct riprap work, we need a permit from the local government unit. Therefore, these activities are illegal,” he added.
The CDO document states that the riprap construction violates Section 51 of the Water Code of the Philippines, which prohibits building structures within public-use easements along rivers, streams, seas and lakes — extending three meters in urban areas, 20 meters in agricultural areas and 40 meters in forest areas.
Furthermore, the construction is considered an inherent nuisance under Article 694 of the Civil Code of the Philippines. This order is issued based on the City’s jurisdiction over municipal waters as defined by Republic Act 8550 and Article 420 of the Civil Code.
Failure to comply with this CDO may result in legal actions, including fines, penalties, or demolition of the illegal structure by the City, according to the document.
Chan also disclosed that a swimming pool and a new building in the resort were constructed without the required building permits from the City, further compounding the violations that prompted the issuance of the CDO.
“Ransacking”
This is not the first time Zyrena Mactan Resort Hotel has received a CDO from Chan; however, relevant documents are not available as of press time.
On Sept. 25, several armed men wearing bonnets ransacked the private resort and allegedly stole valuable belongings while taking three staff members hostage.
Chan stated that the City’s investigation into this case is ongoing, including efforts to determine whether those involved were guards hired by the resort’s management.
As of Dec. 9, Chan received information from the National Bureau of Investigation 7 about individuals wearing bonnets. He added that they are reviewing documents to identify who hired these individuals.
“Col. Dyan Agustin will investigate further into these fully armed individuals. It is a violation of the law for security guards or police officers to wear bonnets,” Chan said in Cebuano.
Agustin is acting director of the Lapu-Lapu City Police Office.