Mayor defends decision
Expecting strong resistance, Mayor Alipio Fernandez Jr. is ready to defend his decision to issue an executive order canceling all existing tax declarations (TD) issued over parcels of foreshore or public lands in Bonuan.
Fernandez said he is anticipating some resistance from the claimants-possessors of TDs as he stressed that they have no basis in staking their claims.
He said these individuals used their TDs to claim parcels of the foreshore land but the needed documents for eventual ownership of the property is a different matter.
The mayor said recovery of the foreshore or public lands from the claimants will enable the city government to build a theme park in the area or perhaps a low-cost or socialized housing for government employees in the area.
Executive Order No. 66, series of 2007 issued by Fernandez on Tuesday directs the City Assessor to immediately cancel all existing tax declarations issued over foreshore or public lands along the beaches of Tondaligan Park, especially in Bonuan Binloc, Dagupan City.
Fernandez told newsmen that the land covered by the TDs is adjacent to Tondaligan Park, a national park which was created by virtue of Proclamation No. 98 issued by then President Diosdado Macapagal in 1964.
Being a park of which the city of Dagupan is the administrator, the same therefore is beyond the commerce of man.
The mayor noted that all the claimants and or possessors of TDs are landed individuals, a situation which is incomprehensible as there are so many homeless and landless citizens in Dagupan who should have been given preferential rights over the public lands.
The foreshore land, he said, are accretion area adjacent to Tondaligan Park being administered by the city of Dagupan and therefore, the same enjoys riparian rights over these areas.—LM
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