Taguig reaffirms claim over Fort Bonifacio

Taguig has reaffirmed its claim of ownership over Fort Bonifacio as it filed a motion for reconsideration (MR) before the Court of Appeals (CA) against the appellate court’s July 30 ruling in favor of Makati.

“We will not stop, Taguig will exhaust all legal remedies available to assert our ownership of Fort Bonifacio. We have asked the CA to reconsider its previous ruling and I am confident that we will be vindicated in the end,” Mayor Lani Cayetano said.

Mayor Lani also reiterated her appeal to CA associate justice Marlene Gonzales-Sison to inhibit from hearing the case because of her husband’s close association with Vice President Jejomar Binay, who fought for Makati’s ownership of Fort Bonifacio during his term as the city’s mayor.

“We should not allow a cloud of doubt loom over the CA’s impartiality in deciding this case,” she stressed.

The MR was filed by Taguig last Thursday before the CA’s Sixth Division. It contained arguments to prove that the city’s claim of ownership over Fort Bonifacio is superior to that of Makati and everyone else.

“Taguig’s claim has the backing of history – it precedes Makati as a political and corporate entity by decades. Taguig’s claim has the weight of official authority behind it – in statutes, in proclamations, in public documents – while Makati can only rely on private writings and proclamations that expand the original terms of that which it sought to amend,” said the Motion.

“Taguig’s claim has been established by the numerous documentary and official documents, while Makati’s has been one characterized by numerous legal maneuvers and overreliance on technicalities,” it added.

On numerous occasions, Mayor Lani has explained that Taguig has already presented maps, surveys and official documents to bolster its claim of jurisdiction over Fort Bonifacio, which was affirmed and reaffirmed in the Pasig regional trial court (RTC) that heard the case for almost 20 years.

However, after only one and a half years, the CA overturned the Pasig RTC decision and ruled in favor of Makati.

The motion stated that the present case is not only a choice between the contending parties, that “…there is more in this case than just a choice between Taguig and Makati.”

“Any decision the Honorable Court makes in this case is a judgment on the importance of official historical documents issued by no less than the highest official of the land and the weight we accord to them at present,” it pointed out.

“It is a judgment on how we value words written in statutes and proclamations vis-à-vis private writings. It is a choice between giving life to the written word or robbing it of its meaning.”

It continued that the CA decision on the case, whatever it may be, will “necessarily impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands residents and tens of thousands of business establishments,” as part of the disputed area is the only financial district of district of Taguig, which is the Bonifacio Global City (BGC).

The decision will affect the transactions and plans of companies who are “tired of bureaucratic red tape and needless local government intrusion,” most of whom transferred to Taguig due to lower taxes, better services and business policies, the statement noted.

A substantial portion of the city’s annual budget of around P5 billion comes from BGC. With this, the financial district’s revenue is supporting the 28 barangays under Taguig’s jurisdiction.

A chunk of the budget is allocated to fund the various social services of the city, particularly on education and health, it added.

“The lives, dreams and aspirations of real people will be affected by the decision,” the motion stated.

The local government funds the education of 20,000 scholars under the city’s P300-million scholarship program; some 10,000 college students study for free at the city’s university, more than 100,000 daycare to high school students receive free ready-to-wear uniforms, bags, shoes and school supplies.

Also, Taguig provides maintenance medicines for its sick constituents, along with wheelchairs, canes and crutches for the people who need it. ###

FILIPINO VERSION:

 Taguig, nag-file na ng Motion for Reconsideration sa CA para sa Fort Boni

Naghain na ng Motion for Reconsideration ang pamahalaang lokal ng Taguig sa Court of Appeals (CA) at muling iginiit na ang Fort Bonifacio ay pag-aari ng lungsod at hindi sa Makati.

“We will not stop, Taguig will exhaust all legal remedies available to assert our ownership of Fort Bonifacio. We have asked the CA to reconsider its previous ruling and I am confident that we will be vindicated in the end,” ani Mayor Lani Cayetano.

Muli ring nanawagan si Mayor Lani kay CA associate justice Marlene Gonzales-Sison na siyang ponente ng desisyon na mag-inhibit na mula sa kaso dahil sa pagiging malapit ng asawa nito kay Vice President Jejomar Binay, na noo’y nakipaglaban upang mapunta sa Makati ang Fort Bonifacio nang siya ay maging mayor ng naturang lungsod.

 “We should not allow a cloud of doubt loom over the CA’s impartiality in deciding this case,” diin ng alkalde.

Sa inihaing MR ng Taguig, iginiit nito na ang lungsod ang may sakop sa pinag-aagawang teritoryo at ang “claim of ownership” nito ay mas may basehan kaysa sa Makati.

 “Taguig’s claim has the backing of history – it precedes Makati as a political and corporate entity by decades. Taguig’s claim has the weight of official authority behind it – in statutes, in proclamations, in public documents – while Makati can only rely on private writings and proclamations that expand the original terms of that which it sought to amend,” ayon sa nakasaad sa mosyon.

 “Taguig’s claim has been established by the numerous documentary and official documents, while Makati’s has been one characterized by numerous legal maneuvers and overreliance on technicalities,” dagdag pa nito.

 Makailang beses na rin na naipaliwanag ni Mayor Lani na nakapag-prisinta na ang Taguig ng mga opisyal na dokumento, mapa at sarbey upang patunayan ang pag-aari nito sa Fort Bonifacio sa Pasig RTC na dininig ang kaso ng halos 20 taon bago nagdesisyon  sa pabor ng Taguig.

 Matapos lamang ang wala pang isa’t kalahating taon, nagdesisyon naman ang CA pabor sa Makati.

 Dagdag pa ng mosyon, hindi lamang laban sa pagitan ng Taguig at Makati ang nakasalalay sa desisyon ng korte sa kaso.

 “Any decision the Honorable Court makes in this case is a judgment on the importance of official historical documents issued by no less than the highest official of the land and the weight we accord to them at present,” sabi nito.

 “It is a judgment on how we value words written in statutes and proclamations vis-à-vis private writings. It is a choice between giving life to the written word or robbing it of its meaning.”

 Makakaapekto umano ang desisyon ng CA sa buhay ng daang-libong mamayan ng Taguig na umaasa sa kita ng lokal na pamahalaan sa Bonifacio Global City (BGC) upang tustusan ang mga serbisyo nito.

Makakaapekto rin ito sa mga plano ng mga negosyong naka-base sa BGC dahil di maikakaila na mas mababa ang mga buwis na binabayaran sa Taguig kaysa sa Makati.

Malaking bahagi ng pondo ng Taguig na umaabot sa halos P5 bilyon ay galing sa BGC, na sumusuporta sa mga serbisyong bayan sa 28 na barangay ng siyudad, partikular na sa edukasyon at kalusugan.

“The lives, dreams and aspirations of real people will be affected by the decision,” sabi nito.

Dito aniya galing ang perang ipinangtutustos sa edukasyon ng higit 20,000 na iskolar ng Taguig sa ilalim ng P300-million na scholarship program, habang may 10,000 college students sa Taguig City University ang libre ang tuition.

Mahigit 100,000 daycare hanggang high school students ang nakakatanggap ng libreng ready-to-wear uniforms, bag, sapatos at school supplies.

Dito rin galing ang gamot na ibinibigay ng libre sa mga mamamayan, kasama na ang wheelchair at saklay para sa mga may kailangan dito. ###