THE construction of the proposed Patag National High School near the Camp Evangelista golf course has been stalled after a group of golfers expressed opposition to the plan.
Cagayan de Oro City Councilor Leon Gan brought up the matter during the session last Monday, March 27, where the City Council approved an amount worth P1,640,616 for the purchase of access roads for the first public high school in Patag village, Cagayan de Oro City.
Gan did not vote for its approval, citing problems in the land purchasing process.
"I will not go into details, but there is really a problem there. It does not involve us in the legislative department, but in the executive, it's all about the procedure in acquiring the subject property," Gan told his colleagues, when pressed what the issue was all about.
City Councilor Romeo Calizo confirmed there was indeed a problem which involved Camp Evangelista golfers.
Calizo, husband of Patag village chair Marycor Calizo, said the problem started after caddies and staff of the golf club dismantled the stage where the groundbreaking ceremony was supposed to take place last Monday, March 27.
The city had to permanently cancel the groundbreaking ceremony because of the incident.
Calizo said the order to dismantle the stage came from the club officers themselves composed of lawyers and retired generals.
The city then sent a team, which included City Legal Officer lawyer Donald Delegencia, to talk with the golfers and sort out the problem.
Calizo said that although they cannot show legal documents proving their claims, the golfers insist that the one-hectare area is included in the Camp Evangelista property.
"Ang property sa del Puerto family diha sa golf course is around 2 hectares, pero ang gipalit lang sa City Government is 1 hectare lang para tukuran sa high school building but it so happened nga kini nga yuta, gigamit sa golf club (The del Puerto family only owns a two-hectare property in the golf course, but the City Government only bought one hectare for the high school, but it so happened the property is also used by the gold club)," he said.
The city councilor added they challenged the staff of the golf club to show some documents to prove the claims but the latter said they have been using the area since time immemorial.
But Calizo said the construction would still push through despite backlash from the golfers group, noting the City Government has legal basis to implement the project.
"On the part of the 4th Infantry Division where the golf course is located, nakasabot sila nga kana (they understand that the) portion is already out of the military reservation, but the golfers cannot seem to grasp this," he said.
Calizo said the proposed four-story, 12-room national high school sits inside the golf course and will occupy one fairway.