NO DEMOLITION ORDER FROM MAYOR

IS the Dagupan City government out to legalize the illegal?

This question was raised after the three beach resorts squatting on public land in Barangay Bonuan Binloc and whose owners presented falsified waivers are still very much in operation.

At the budget hearing of the Sangguniang Panlungsod on Thursday, City Treasurer Romelita Alcantara admitted that the three identified resorts are far from being demolished and are actually now just being assessed for their unpaid business taxes.

The assessment is being undertaken even if, as Alcantara admitted, the three — Dimla’s Resort, Tres Gracias Resort and the bigger Oro Gracia Resort –never secured a business permit and clearance from the city’s One Stop Business Center (OSBC).

Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, on the other hand, said allowing the resorts to operate and, worse, taxing them without a business permit, is illegal as there is no basis for taxation.

“This could be branded as illegal exaction since the city is collecting tax without any basis at all,” she said.

She added the city hall’s policy is “most unfair” to the other businesses, particularly sari-sari stores, which are immediately forced to close for failing to secure business permits.

Fernandez said she has received reports that many sari-sari stores cannot afford the mayor’s permit, sanitary permit, fire inspection fees and other fees all at the same time as their capitalization is just P10,000 or below.

“Why should these illegal beach resorts enjoy special treatment from the city government?” she asked.

OWNERSHIP

One of OSBC’s requirements in granting permits and clearance is proof of ownership of the land that they are occupying, a requirement that the owners of the three resorts cannot produce after their occupation had been declared illegal.

The three controversial beach resorts were built along the foreshore land owned by the national government through the Department of Environment and Natural Resources  (DENR).

City Engineer Virginia Rosario also reiterated her previous statement that she can never issue building permits to the owners of these structures after failing to show proof that they own the land where their establishments stand.

The presentation of a building permit, secured before any construction can begin, is one of the requirements for a business permit.

The city engineer earlier said she is still awaiting the official order of Mayor Benjamin Lim before starting the demolition of all illegal structures in Bonuan Binloc that includes the three beach resorts.

Alcantara also admitted that the copies of tax declarations issued by the City Assessor’s Office in previous years do not serve as proof of ownership but merely proof of payment of taxes.

The resorts owners have asserted that the tax declarations they are holding are enough basis for their rightful occupancy of the land.

Meanwhile, Dimla’s Resort, one of the 12 structures whose electrical service was set to be disconnected off last week after Rosario certified that the owners used a falsified electrical permit, continues to enjoy electrical service because it has a separate mayor’s waiver.

The waiver, earlier claimed by the office of the city mayor as fake, has yet to be officially cancelled by the latter preventing the Dagupan Electric Corporation from disconnecting its service.

The owners of the resorts (from Nueva Ecija and Baguio) reportedly bought “rights” and secured the fake waivers from still unidentified persons for a still undetermined amount.

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