Capiz, Iloilo boundary land dispute remains unsettled
A land boundary dispute between Capiz and Iloilo provinces remains unresolved on their third hearing Wednesday, October 11, 2006, held at the Capiz Provincial Capitol.
A closed door meeting was held at the Office of Vice-Governor Victor Tanco, Sr., prior to the start of the formal hearing upon the request of Iloilo board members Niel "Junjun" Tupas, Jr. and Domingo Oso with the consent of the officials of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan and the Municipality of Dumarao, Capiz.
The meeting was conducted so as not to disrupt the real intention of both parties which may eventually lead to the settlement of the said land boundary dispute.
The result of the meeting appeared cordial which lasted for an hour.
So as not to disrupt the basic services delivered to five barangays of Lemery, Iloilo which the town of Dumarao has been claiming as part of their land area, a status quo agreement was declared by both parties.
All declared titles registered under Dumarao are requested to pay their real estate taxes to the said town and to Lemery for those registered under the said town as well.
Further, both parties agreed to submit their corresponding documents from their respective provincial Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Agrararian Reform (DAR) and Assessor's Office which would be consolidated by the technical groups from both sides.
Both parties have agreed a 60-day period before going to the final hearing. Documents gathered will serve as evidences for comparison and as their basis for the legal ownership.
When Tupas suggested that Lemery will exercise political jurisdiction over the disputed land areas, Capiz Legal Officer Napoleon Odocado and Board Member Henry Reyes immediately questioned the former.
The duo stood a common ground for their resistance in using the words "political jurisdiction" as it connotes negative implications, on which Tanco felt the same way in sympathy for his colleagues.
Tupas however insisted and kept his stand to keep the phrase as it is for he can see no reason changing it to an "administrative decision" phrase as suggested by the other party.
Representatives from Iloilo province which included board members Cecilia Capadosa, Lilia Gonzales and the Iloilo Sangguniang Panlalawigan led by Secretariat Secretary Atty. Lorenzo Tubola and Mrs. Catalina Palmares and the technical staff were treated for a seafood lunch by the Capiz Provincial Government along a coastal restaurant as a gesture of their hospitality.
(Nelson Robles/Capitol News)