Criminal raps filed vs. owner and personnel of posh Boracay resort
Criminal charges have been filed against the owner and employees of a posh resort on Boracay Island over a property ownership dispute on the island-resort.
In a six-page complaint filed before the Aklan Provincial Prosecutors Office on January 21, Fridays Boracay owner Jose Panlilio and 30 security guards and other alleged personnel of resort were accused of frustrated murder.
The complaint, filed by lawyers of One White Beach resort, was prompted by an armed confrontation between security guards of the two neighboring resorts on January 17.
Security guards of Fridays Boracay allegedly destroyed the perimeter fence where the One White Beach resort is being constructed and attempted to enter the area in Barangay Balabag, at the northern end of the 1,032-hectare island.
A brief firefight ensued between security guards of the two properties. A worker of Fridays Boracay, identified as John Venancio, was injured in the knee.
Lawyer Norman Tayag, one of the legal counsels of One White Beach, said in a recent telephone interview that one of their security guards fired a warning shot after their wooden fence was destroyed.
But security guards of Fridays allegedly fired back towards the One White Beach guards.
The complaint was supported by an affidavit of Julio Magluyan Jr., chief of security of the One White Beach property.
Magluyan said in his affidavit that he fired at the security personnel of Fridays Boracay in self defense because they were allegedly intruding upon the property of One White Beach.
Tayag said Fridays Boracay is claiming ownership of a 700-square meter area that is part of the 1.5 hectare property by One White Beach.
The general manager of Fridays Boracay failed to respond to an e-mailed request for an interview and repeated requests to return calls.
The incident is the latest among heightening conflicts involving ownership claims over prized lots in the world famous resort.
Last year, violence erupted over the demolition of shanties and commercial stalls in a beach front property on the island.
Another resort in Boat Station 1, Boracay Sandcastles, is also being disputed by Australian resort operator Greg Hutchinson and the owner of the lot Editha Meren with Hutchinson's former sub-lessee Evangeline Dalino.
The Municipal Circuit Trial Court of Buruanga-Malay has not yet ruled on the forcible takeover of Meren and Dalino last November 5, 2008 which has caused an impasse at the resort.
Hutchinson has accused Meren and Dalino of forcible entry and damages and asked the court to issue a preliminary mandatory injunction against the respondents ordering them to vacate the premises of the disputed property.
Meren and Dalino have filed an opposition to the complaint with counter-claims.