ANGELES CITY – The Clarkhills Properties Corp. heeded the call of Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin to stop all demolition at the contested land in Barangays Anunas and Cuayan.
In a meeting today, Oct. 18, at the city hall with the mayor, Clarkhills president Oscar Torralba and counsel Atty. Gener Endona agreed to cause the stoppage of demolition until the Angeles City Human Settlement and Urban Development formerly LUPAHO, through city councilor Atty. Arvin “Pogs” Suller, finish the tagging or survey and identification of all tenants.
After the tagging, Lazatin said the city government and Clarkhills will sit down again to discuss the “next course”.
“At the end of the day it is the best interest of the public that we will uphold,” Lazatin said.
The meeting was also attended by Suller, Lazatin’s chief adviser IC Calaguas, secretary to the mayor Rafael Lazatin Angeles, city legal officer Atty. Ralph Macalino, city administrator Atty. Willie Rivera, and Sheriff Elizabeth Marasigan,
Yesterday, Oct. 17, the sangguniang panlungsod passed two interrelated resolutions on the land dispute.
Resolution No. 10972, S-2023 authorizes the mayor to negotiate with Clarkhills Properties Corp, for the purchase of parcels of land in Sitio Balubad, Barangay Anunas for the city’s socialized housing project.
Resolution No. 10973, S-2023 authorizes Lazatin to initiate expropriation proceedings for the properties located at Sitio Balubad “subject of the failure of the negotiations with the owner – Clarkhills Properties Corp…”
Only last Monday, Oct. 16, Lazatin sent a letter to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. seeking his assistance “in calling for a halt in the demolition of the properties in Barangay Cuayan and Anunas, Angeles City so that we may return to the negotiating table and renew our discussions with Clarkhills and the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board.”
“The undersigned duly acknowledges the court order for the demolition; however, for humanitarian considerations, we are only appealing for more time to discuss the assistance and relocation for the families that will be adversely affected before the authorities proceed with the demolition,” the mayor noted in his letter. Punto News Team/Angeles CIO
