By Leonardo Micua

 

THE beaches in Lingayen, Binmaley, Dagupan and San Fabian, which are considered inalienable and not disposable, according to DENR, have one thing in common, according to a friend.

All the squatters are private individuals with nothing but only personal interests on their minds.

Except owning tax declarations, which is not proof of land ownership, these individuals have no other documents to present that would legitimize  their occupancy of the areas.

Neither can they show the “rights” that they brag about, which they supposedly obtained to back their ownership of a piece of land in the beach area that is considered as part of public domain, and is, therefore, owned by the state.

It’s good that Pangasinan has a governor like Ramon Guico III and congressman like Mark Cojuangco. Both are bent on claiming back the foreshore land for the benefit of all the people of Pangasinan.

Gov. Mon Mon is bent on suing those who he believed bastardized the beaches in Lingayen, Binmaley and San Fabian, as well as the military reservation in Binmaley.

On the other hand, Cong. Mark is calling for a congressional inquiry to probe and expose the land grabbers, including those who supposedly sold them  the “rights” to occupy the areas.

If they succeed in reclaiming the land-grabbed foreshore land, they will leave a lasting legacy for the next generations of Pangasinenses.

The same thing will happen to Mayor Belen Fernandez and Cong Toff De Venecia if they partner in flushing out the squatters that appropriated for themselves the foreshore lands of Dagupan, including the 72-hectare national park segregated by then President Diosdado Macapagal in the early 60s.

We all know that the “ownership” of foreshore lands of Dagupan and those in Lingayen. Binmaley and San Fabian are being claimed by private individuals, most of whom initially installed fence enclosures marking boundaries of their claimed areas.

Those who intruded into the foreshore lands in Bonuan early on already built vacation and “for rent” beach resorts as well as private rest houses that are just only a few meters away from the beach.

Will Mayor Belen Fernandez and Cong. Toff De Venecia follow the lead of Gov. MonMon and Cong. Mark in going after squatters and land grabbers in the beach areas?

Or Cong Toff can at least join Cong Mark in the inquiry over the grand conspiracy to steal the Pangasinan beach and Binmaley’s military reservation from the government.

As there is a need to position the One-Bonuan Pavillion and the PH-China Friendship Garden in the beach area, Belen must now be ordering her legal officer to file cases against the land grabbers, as bold as what Guico must be doing today.

Failing this, we will never be able to take back these public lands from these suckers and vultures.

It’s time our local leaders finally come together and call spade a spade!

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The request of Mayor Belen Fernandez to the Sangguniang Panlungsod for the passage of  a resolution declaring a state of calamity for Dagupan because of the fast-spreading flood as an aftermath of Typhoon Egay was granted by the seven-man majority during a special session done on zoom on Friday. 

Knowing the modus and mentality of the seven-man majority, I thought they will thumb down the request of the mayor to tap the quick reaction fund from the city’s calamity fund so that the suffering of the Dagupenos from the wrath of Typhoon Egay could be eased.

But because Dagupan today is still operating under a reenacted budget, what can be chipped off from the calamity fund can only be used to procure food and medicine for the typhoon victims. Nothing for infrastructure. 

The seven-man majority finally realized that during this time of the calamity, when the very lives of the poor people of Dagupan are at stake, it is a no-no to play politics and give the people what they need in their most crucial times.

In Butch Merrera‘s words during the program hosted by Jay Mendoza and Ilet Breguerra on Sonshine Radio Dagupan Friday morning, he said: “This is no time to play politics”, adding that “politics can wait”.

It just took the SP less than two hours to pass the measure, not weeks and months. 

Three cheers to the seven-man majority, this time!

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