Dialogue on Silot Bay dispute to be held today

A resident Sungahid shows wounds that were caused by bullets supposedly shot by a resort guard while fishing at Silot Bay. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)

A dialogue between Liloan officials and the town’s local residents, fisherfolks and resort owners over the alleged closure of the controversial Silot Bay will be held today.

Lilo-an Mayor Duke Frasco hopes the consultation will shed light and help resolve the decades-long conflict over access to the water body owned by the family of labor leader Democrito Mendoza.

He said the activity  will also be a venue to gather feedback from the residents regarding the fencing of the bay.

“The consultation will take place  with the public and interested parties to inform them of the actions taken by the municipality and get feedback from them directly,” said Frasco in a text message to Cebu Daily News.

Elvira Arañas, sister of  the owner of Silot Beach Resort (commonly known as Pilapil Park) yesterday confirmed that the family will attend the consultation in Panfilo B. Frasco Sports Complex.

NOT BARED

However, she said they could  walk out if they “won’t like Frasco’s announcement” saying the mayor is slow to respond to their complaints.

“We willl really leave the consultation if we won’t like what he (Frasco) says. He hasn’t acted on that because they are close with the Mendozas,” Arañas said. The Mendozas will also send a representative to the consultation, their spokesperson Arthur Barrit said.

“I think the issue there which was not clearly communicated is that the residents or the fisherfolk aren’t barred from fishing, swimming and gathering seashells in the area,” he told Cebu Daily News in a phone interview.

The Lilo-an municipal government sent three stoppage orders to the Mendozas for the illegal construction of the fence, Frasco said.

LARGER CROWD

Elvira Arañas, sister of the owner of Pilapil Park near Silot Bay in barangay Poblacion, Lilo-an explains her side. (CDN PHOTO/ LITO TECSON)

He said the family only stopped construction when they received the third stoppage order sent last Jan. 24.

Afterwards, Frasco said he met with the family’s representatives twice during Jan. 27 and Jan. 30 where they agreed to stop the construction.

Frasco said he called for a meeting with the camp of  Arañas two days ago. But Arañas instead sent a representative.

Arañas said they will stage a protest rally in Silot bay next Sunday, this time with a larger crowd of a thousand people composed of fisherfolk families and Lilo-an residents who used to bathe in the area.

“Napukaw man ang ilang kalagot nga dugay na nilang gusto ipagawas. Wala lang sila’y mapagawsan sa ilang mga hinanakit,” (Their anger which they have been wanting to release for a long time now has been awakened. They just don’t have a venue to air their frustrations),” Arañas said.

The fencing of the bay revived a conflict over access to the area presently owned by Mendoza by virtue of land titles that classified it as a “natural fishpond,” a decision made final by the Supreme Court in 2007.

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