Village chief insists fish port ownership

CEBU, Philippines -  San Roque, Talisay City Barangay Captain Elzevier Abraham insisted that the Talisay City Fish Port at the Cebu South Coastal Road belongs to their area of jurisdiction.

The lot in which the fish port is situated is being contested with fellow claimant Barangay Tanke.

Abraham said the tax declaration of the property revealed that the firsh port, covering an area of 6,438 square meters, is located in his barangay.

In Barangay Council Resolution No. 2014-154, San Roque officials were asking the city government to remove the name of Barangay Tanke in the fish port and replace it with the name of their barangay.

"It's not proper to reflect the word Tanke in the fish port signage as address of the property with the dispute still unresolved," the barangay resolution read.

In last Tuesday's council session, Vice Mayor Romeo Villarante referred the barangay resolution to the committee on laws.

Villarante, however, said before the word "Tanke" is removed from the signage, the matter has to be resolved first.

In an earlier interview, Tanke Barangay Chief Perla Cabanes claimed that the fish port belonged to her barangay.

Cabanes said she wanted to avoid any more disputes with the neighboring Barangay San Roque and hoped that the issue could be settled by defining the boundary of the two barangays.  (FREEMAN)