Illegal beach resorts told to get permits
IS it an attempt to whitewash investigation or simply an indication of incompetence?
This question arose after the Dagupan city government sent notices to the controversial beach resort establishments whose facilities have been determined to be illegally occupying government land.
City Treasurer Romelita Alcantara sent notices two weeks ago to the owners of three illegal beach resorts in Barangay Bonuan Binloc asking them to secure the necessary permits “or face immediate closure” of their businesses.
The notices were sent after the sangguniang panlungsod determined that the beach resorts’ operations illegally occupied public land and are therefore operating illegally.
One notice dated December 6, 2011 signed by Alcantara addressed to Jhoanamae Grace P. Diaz, one of the owners of Tres Gracias and Oro Gracias Beach Resorts, directed her to secure the necessary permits within five days, “otherwise we will effect the closure of the operation of your business.”
The illegal operations of the Tres Gracias, Oro Gracias and the adjacent Dimla’s Resort on public land under the control and supervision of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) sans any permit were reported in The PUNCH as early as November 13, 2011.
When asked by Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez who chairs the SP, Alcantara explained that her office usually sends a notice to establishments that were found to have no mayor’s permit and are not paying business taxes as a matter of policy.
Alcantara, however, did not explain the belated action taken by her office, months after its tax mapping operations ended, on the unregistered and illegal operations of the three beach resorts.
Fernandez said if the illegally situated establishments are given a mayor’s permit and the payment for business taxes are accepted, the owners would be able to establish “a semblance of legitimacy” to fight off demolition of their facilities.
The controversial resorts were able to secure service from the Dagupan Electric Corporation (DeCorp) based on “fake waivers” supposedly signed by Mayor Benjamin Lim and City Administrator Vladimir Mata for residential purposes.
INVESTIGATIONS
The mayor’s office said the signatures on the waivers were forged and that an investigation on the matter is being done. However, the mayor’s office has not given media an update on the progress of the investigation.
Meanwhile, Lim, through Mata, also claimed that the City Engineer’s Office has the power to demolish the three illegal establishments without a written order from the mayor’s office. To date, Lim has refused to send a written order for demolition to City Engr. Virginia Rosario.
The SP is undertaking a parallel inquiry and intends to ask the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to also launch a probe.
Councilor Brian Lim, son of Mayor Lim, has opposed the move of the city council to conduct its own paralleled investigation on the reported widespread illegal sale and disposition of public land at the beach area.
The city council, however, failed to adopt the resolution requesting the NBI’s assistance last week after it failed to muster a quorum during its regular session on December 12.
Fernandez said the resolution “might as well be taken up in the first SP session next year as the council does not want to create any friction between and among city officials during the rest of the Christmas holidays.”
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