Taguig appeals ruling on Fort Bonifacio

MANILA, Philippines - The city government of Taguig has asked the Court of Appeals (CA) to reconsider its earlier decision transferring the contested Fort Bonifacio area, including the high-end Bonifacio Global City (BGC) to Makati City.

In a motion for reconsideration filed on Aug. 29 before the sixth division of the appellate court, Taguig argued that it has jurisdiction over Fort Bonifacio.

“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,” part of the motion read.

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

Taguig further argued the CA ruling would “necessarily impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of residents and tens of thousands of business establishments,” as part of the disputed area is the lone financial district of Taguig, which is the BGC.

A substantial portion of the city’s annual budget of around P5 billion comes from the BGC, which is used to support the 28 barangays under Taguig’s jurisdiction.

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

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

The city government said it has presented maps, surveys and official documents to bolster its claim of jurisdiction over Fort Bonifacio, which was affirmed and reaffirmed by the Pasig City Regional Trial Court that heard the case for almost 20 years.

On July 30, the CA overturned the Pasig court’s 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“Any decision the Honorable Court makes in this case is a judgment on the importance of official historical documents issued by no less than the highest official of the land and the weight we accord to them at present,” it pointed out.

Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano vowed to exhaust all legal remedies available to fight for the city’s right over the 729-hectare property covering seven military barangays and inner Fort barangays, including the BGC.

“We will not stop and I am confident that we will be vindicated in the end,” Cayetano said in a statement.

She reiterated her call for CA Associate Justice Marlene Gonzales-Sison to inhibit from hearing the case due to her husband’s alleged close association with Vice President Jejomar Binay, who fought for Makati’s ownership of Fort Bonifacio during his term as city mayor.

“We should not allow a cloud of doubt to loom over the CA’s impartiality in deciding this case,” she said. – With Perseus Echeminada