Liloan Mayor Duke Frasco said he will ask the Mendoza family to provide an open fishing ground along Silot Bay for the town residents.
“My next step is to dialogue with them to find an area in Silot Bay where the fishermen can fish because of all the people, our fisherfolk are the most affected in this matter,” he told reporters.
Frasco met with Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III yesterday to seek assistance in resolving the dispute between the Mendoza family, the fisherfolk and property owners.
The family yielded to local pressure and “removed” a fence installed in part of the bay but the legal status of Silot Bay as a privately owned fishpond area of the Mendozas has been a cause of animosity for decades, revived last month by the fencing of the water body.
Asked if he was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting, Frasco said he had hoped for “more substance” from Davide about their request to pursue legal action with the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG), a statement that irked the governor.
“Although we understand that because the governor is busy and he needs to travel and take care of the entire province of Cebu. I understand that it will take him more time for a review,” Frasco said.
Judgement
When sought for his reaction on the mayor’s comment, Davide said he needed to review the facts first before taking a stand.
“What did he expect from me? I asked for the documents and told them we need to take a look at this because we’re not very familiar with the facts on this except for what we read in the papers,” Davide said.
“For me, I cannot make any judgment until I have read the documents. What does he expect me to do and what did he do in the time of his mother-in-law (former Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia)?” he added.
The Liloan municipal government pursued an agreement with the Mendozas six years ago but the plan did not materialize, Frasco said.
At present, only the area directly below the bridge is open to fishing and swimming while the rest of the waters entering Silot Bay is closed and guarded by the family’s security personnel, the mayor said.
Rally
Before the family assumed ownership of the area, fishermen used to gather a variety of fish such as tilapia, lapu-lapu and shells from the waters of the bay.
Last weekend, fisherfolk, concerned residents and other property owners along the bay area staged a rally demanding the return of the bay property to public domain.
“There is no definition or clear line as to the specific area in Silot where the fishermen are free to fish,” he said.
He said Mendoza and his son, Trade Union Congress Partylist (ALU-TUCP) Rep. Raymond Mendoza, have been “very willing to cooperate” with the municipal government during their past meetings.
However, Frasco said he would still pursue the legal battle to reclaim the property from the Mendozas who were awarded the property in a decision upheld by the Supreme Court in 2007.
The mayor said the municipal council is drafting a resolution requesting the OSG to review the Supreme Court’s decision over the property.
“We’re asking the Supreme Court to revisit and review their decision last March 28, 2007. Hopefully, if they can review that, the ownership of Silot Bay will be given back to the town,” Frasco said.