Published March 11, 2017
9:26am [ http://www.gmanetwork.com ]
A Makati City legal
officer said that the decision of the Court of Appeals to award to Taguig City
ownership rights over the disputed Bonifacio Global City lacks basis.
"The Court of
Appeals did not rule that Taguig is the rightful owner of BGC. The dismissal of
Makati's appeal was based on a technicality and did not overturn its earlier
decision upholding Makati as the rightful owner of the disputed
territory," Atty. Michael Arthur Camiña, Makati City's legal officer and
spokesperson said in a statement last Friday.
In a 17-page resolution
penned by Associate Justice Edwin Sorongon, the appellate court granted a
motion from Taguig City that sought to dismiss Makati's appeal invoking its
ownership over the disputed areas.
In July 2011, the Pasig
Regional Trial Court had already ruled in favor of Taguig and awarded to the
city all areas comprising the Enlisted Men's Barangays, or EMBOs, as well as
the area referred to as Inner Fort in Fort Bonifacio.
Camiña, meanwhile, said
that it is too early for Taguig to celebrate over the recent decision.
Taguig City Mayor Lani
Cayetano in a statement released on Wednesday said that CA's decision is a
"victory for Taguigeños."
Cayetano, however,
extended her hand of friendship to Makati City and its residents.
"Taguig desires to
work with its neighbors. We have common challenges with massive urbanization.
People need our services in planning, infrastructure, health and education
programs, as well as anti-crime and anti-drug campaigns. We can only solve
these problems if we work together," Cayetano said.
Camiña also cited CA's
ruling dated July 2013, in which it reinforced Makati's jurisdiction over BGC.
It ordered Taguig to "immediately cease and desist from exercising
jurisdiction within the disputed area and return the same to Makati."
"The last CA
decision expressly granted Makati jurisdiction over BGC based on historical
facts and evidence. To nullify that ruling based on mere technicality is
robbing the Makati citizens of what is rightfully theirs," Camiña said.
—Marlly Rome C. Bondoc/LBG, GMA News
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