BSL issued waivers for rich beach squatters
FOR ELECTRIC CONNECTION
AN official of the Dagupan Electric Corporation (Decorp) said electric connection to illegal structures along a beachfront in Tondaligan Park was made possible on the strength of the waivers signed by Mayor Benjamin Lim and City Administrator Vladimir Mata.
At the same time, Dominador Liwag, Decorp retail service manager, told the Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP), that is conducting an inquiry into the structures, that all those given electrical connections in the area were residential applicants and none sought a commercial service.
Liwag was surprised when told that the new structures built along the Dagupan shoreline that were provided electric service are operating today as commercial establishments. He said the waivers issued by the city hall identified the structures as residences.
Liwag, who appeared in the November21 session of the city council, showed the city council copies of the waivers signed by the city mayor and the city administrator that authorized the company to provide electricity.
Liwag explained that the waivers are legal instruments accepted as valid under the Philippine Electrical Code in lieu of a Certificate of Final Electrical Inspection (CFEI), which the electric company requires from every applicant for electric connection.
The CFEI is normally issued by the City Engineer’s Office to applicants who have previously secured building permits.
City Engineer Virginia Rosario, however, denied having issued building permits to owners of the illegal structures at the beachfront. She said the illegal structures are now subject to demolition.
To undertake the demolition, however, Rosario pointed out that she needs an order from the mayor’s office but no order has been issued since the scandal was made public.
GOVERNMENT PROPERTY
The waivers, normally issued for legitimate structures built on government property, were attached to the respective notarized affidavits of each electrical connection applicant that stated that they were owners of houses ”made of light materials constructed on land owned by the city government and would readily vacate the land at their own expense if the city government demands.”
All the affidavits of the applicants presented to the SP bear the certification of Bonuan Binloc Barangay Chairman Pedro Gonzales.
The presence of the illegal structures were brought to the attention of the SP by residents of the barangay when the council held an outside session there.
The council members’ on-site inspection revealed that the structures were not just residential beach houses but were operating as inns, restaurants and spas.
Liwag said Decorp has no record of such establishments as Dimla’s Resort and Bar nor “Tres Gracias Resort”, allegedly owned by the Diaz-Gandara family from Baguio, City.
He said Decorp will investigate the misrepresentation of the residential owners operating commercial establishments.
Liwag will again appear before the council on Nov. 28, upon the request of Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, to submit a diagram or map of their customers along the whole foreshore land of Bonuan Binloc.
WHO’S THE OWNER?
The SP will invite officials of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources to its next session to ascertain who actually owns the affected foreshore in view of the claim in the waivers that the area belongs to the city government.
The area in question is foreshore land, public land owned by the state and therefore under the jurisdiction of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
Unknown to Decorp, while an exemption could be made with the issuance of a presidential proclamation, the area has yet to be declared alienable and disposable.
The Bliss Site adjoining the foreshore land in question is still part of the 72-hectare Tondaligan Park, a national park, for which the city government has yet to get approval for segregation.
The city council noted, however, that the foreshore land already appears to have been parcelled into several lots whose “rights” to occupy were sold to the present occupants by still undetermined group for likewise undetermined amount.
The city council also sought the presence of the head of the city’s One-Stop-Business Shop to find out if the resort and restaurant operators along the foreshore land were issued business permits.
The city engineer was also asked to identify who in the questioned area were not issued building permits by her office.
Rosario has repeatedly failed to appear before the city council due to a memorandum of the mayor issued on Oct. 4, 2011 barring her and other department heads and employees of the city government from attending any session or hearing of the legislative body without his clearance.
Mayor Lim has consistently prevented any department head from appearing before the city council.
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