THE going is slow for Dagupan’s Awai land recovery mission.

The Dagupan City government suffered another delay and possibly a major setback in its quest to recover the 30-hectare land it bought in barangay Awai, San Jacinto which it lost to the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).

The local government failed to submit the topographical map showing that the land taken over by CARP is 18% in slope to indicate that it is unfit for agriculture, to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) regional office within the prescribed 15-day deadline.

Another document required of the city government is a copy of the supposed ordinance of the Sangguniang Bayan of San Jacinto that declared part of barangay Awai and adjacent communities as industrial zone.

Nonetheless, City Legal Officer George Mejia has asked DAR in a letter sent before the set deadline, for a 45-day extension of the deadline to enable the Dagupan City government to secure the necessary documents.

Mejia took to task City Waste Management Officer Reginaldo Ubando, who promised but failed to produce the topographical map supposedly prepared by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Mejia expressed concern after receiving information that such a map in fact is not available in the city and that the Sangguniang Bayan of San Jacinto never enacted an ordinance declaring any part of the town as industrial zone, which Ubando, a nephew of Mejia, also claimed to exist.

Ubando was with Mejia in the meeting with DAR officials in barangay Awai three weeks ago in connection with the renewed appeal of the city for the return of the 30-hectare property, which is intended for Dagupan’s planned sanitary landfill.

“This is a legal matter. We need not do much talking, except to produce the evidence,” said Mejia, irritated at the double-talk of some of his fellow officials.

Mejia said he coordinated with City Engineer Virginia Rosario to assign one engineer in her office in charge of securing the required topographical map or produce the same if not available.

LONG SHOT

Given the compounded legal situation, Dagupan City Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. said he is not optimistic about an easy and early recovery of the 30-hectare lot bought by the city on April 11, 2002 during the first term of his predecessor Benjamin Lim.

“It’s a long shot,” he conceded after determining that the land has long been placed under CARP by virtue of a decision of the Department of Agrarian Reform Arbitration Board (DARAB).

“We are trying to work out legal remedies and I hope that even by a long shot, we may be able to recover our lost property,” Fernandez said in a talk to newsmen on Wednesday.

He said the problem could have been avoided had the former city officials conducted a background investigation on the status of the land before purchasing it, blaming the past administration for failing to be diligent in their work.

The land was bought by the city from one Jose Mariano Cuna in 2002 for P16 million. The city had also another million pesos when it began to fence the property it thought it still owned.

The fencing was discontinued when DARAB placed the land under CARP.

Mayor Fernandez refused to comment on whether Dagupan will still pursue its proposed sanitary landfill project in barangay Awai.—LM

Share your Comments or Reactions

comments

Powered by Facebook Comments