September 03, 2009 05:46 PM Thursday [ journal.com.ph ]
By: Paul M. Gutierrez
THE row between Trece Martires City Mayor Melencio de Sagun and Cavite Gov. Irineo “Ayong” Maliksi continues to heat up with de Sagun telling the latter to back off from acquiring a 53-hectare property for the province’s housing project.
At yesterday’s “No Holds Barred” forum at the National Press Club in Manila, De Sagun presented documents showing that the property in Bgy. Hugo Perez is within the territory of TMC and not the town of General Trias.
“Don’t take what is not yours,” De Sagun bluntly told Maliksi, adding his gripe against the governor is not related to politics.
Maliksi is putting up a housing project in Bgy. Hugo Perez to be known as “Pamayanang Maliksi” but all of its permits were registered and acquired in General Trias.
For the purpose, the provincial government has entered into an agreement with R2 Builders.
Early last month, De Sagun ordered the arrest of R2 Builders’ personnel and the padlocking of the gate leading to the housing project for constructing without obtaining building permits and licenses from TMC.
“As city mayor, I would continue to insist on the right of my constituents over this property; I would not let anybody -- even the governor -- to acquire it in an arbitrary manner,” De Sagun added.
In 1994, the property was acquired by Heavenly Garden Development Corp. (HGDC), which plans to use the property as a memorial park.
In 1996, the Department of Agrarian Reform approved the conversion of the property from agricultural use to commercial use.
It was subsequently acquired by Heavenly Garden HGDC, which plans to use the property as a memorial park.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
