Owner should apply permit to operate the port, says PPA
BACOLOD CITY – A port official said the owner of the port should be the one to apply a permit to operate with the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA)
The declaration was made by Port manager Engr. Enrique Puentebaja in reaction to the ongoing conflict between the city government of Bacolod and Bacolod Real Estate Development Corporation (Bredco).
Puentebaja noticed that in Bacolod, it's the port operator which is Bredco that holds the permit to operate and not the city of Bacolod, who claims as the owner.
As a rule which happens to various private ports in the country supervised by PPA, the owner is the permit holder and not the operator. It's up for the owner to delegate the operation to other firms but the initiative to apply and get hold of the permit should come from the owner.
When asked if PPA has received application from the port owner, the city government of Bacolod, Puentebaja said there was none.
He exampled the Banago port where the permit holder is Negros Navigation.
Recently, Atty. Lyndon Caña, former councilor and framer of the controversial 'take-over ordinance' advised the city to initiate the application for permit to operate the port to PPA central office.
But Puentabaja does not conclude that PPA will give outright the permit to operate to the city because he believes that with the present conflict, Bredco will question it and with that maybe it will lead to the filing of charges and other legal remedies.
PPA also will observe and follow the due process of law to give each party the chance to defend their stand.
The Sangguniang Panglungsod and the executive have no concrete stand on the issue since they are busy with slaughterhouse and dumpsite problems, said Councilor Dindo Ramos.