Judge listed as Tondaligan Park squatter
THE campaign against squatting at the Tondaligan Beach in Dagupan City will not spare the big fish.
The judge of the Regional Trial Court Branch 41 in Dagupan City has been listed as one among the squatters identified by the city’s Task Force on Squatting and Urban Resettlement at the Tondaligan National Park. He reportedly owns a two-storey residential house built inside the national park.
The task force headed by City Engineer Virginia Rosario presented an aerial map showing the structure reportedly owned by Judge Robert Rudio and another property being claimed by a still unidentified owner inside the park.
Rudio’s house was reportedly built starting in late 2007.
The status of the structure was verified to be illegal after the city government made an ocular inspection of the area designated as site for housing for city government employees.
City Legal Officer George Mejia, a member of the task force, who learned of Rudio’s case only last week, stressed that the judge’s house is illegal as it violates the law on national parks.
The Tondaligan Park is covered by Proclamation No. 98 issued in 1964 by then President Diosdado Macapagal.
Mejia said the task force will soon submit its recommendation to Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. on the legal action that can be taken against the judge.
Judge Rudio could not be reached Friday afternoon by the PUNCH for his reaction.
Assistant City Engineer Marcelino Prado said his office earlier sent several notices to the owners of the two houses to enjoin them to stop the construction as their structures are inside a national park.
The notices were repeatedly ignored.
The last notice was served by Prado himself to the judge, who in turn asserted that his approved pre-patent application for the house is already “on the way”.
However, a representative of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) who attended the Wednesday meeting said the area can never be subject for pre-patent because it is a part of the national park.
According to the task force, Rudio’s property also has yet to secure a legal connection from the electric distribution company Dagupan Electric Corp. because it does not have the required building permit from the city hall. It is currently sourcing power from a nearby Bliss housing unit by means of flying connection.
Meanwhile, Chairman Ronald Torio of Barangay Bonuan Binloc. The said construction of the judge’s house may have started in December 2007, when he had just assumed office.
A “No Trespassing” sign has since been put up in front of the judge’s premises—LM
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