The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and Department of National Defense (DND) returned 17.5 hectares of disputed land to Cebu government on Monday, Oct. 3, ending over a decade of legal battle.
Lt. Gen. Bartolome Vicente Bacarro, AFP Chief of Staff, and DND Officer in Charge Jose Faustino Jr. witnessed the ceremonial turnover of 16 parcels of land to Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia at the Capitol Social Hall in Cebu City.
Garcia presided over the ceremony and signing of the deed of conveyance, a legal document which shows that the owner of a piece of land or property has changed. Also present were Vice Governor Hilario Davide III and Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama.
Bacarro said the turnover of the expropriated lots exhibited the "noble intent" of the DND and the AFP to abide by the decision of the Supreme Court issued on April 1, 2019 which is to handover the possession, administration, and the control of the donated lots back to the Cebu provincial government.
“The turn of events leading to the series of engagements between the DND, AFP and the Cebu Provincial Government highlighted the strong teamwork of our agencies and the diplomatic approach that we all espouse in deliberating the available courses of actions in order to achieve a mutually-beneficial result,” he said.
In 1959, the provincial government of Cebu donated lots located in Brgy. Apas, Cebu City to the AFP to be used specifically for military purposes. The donation consisted of 47 parcels of land with a total area of 806,943 square meters to be used by the Third Military Area, now known as Visayas Command (VISCOM), for the battalion combat teams, military exercises, camps and offices.
The donation came with the condition that in the event of land use or use other than for military purposes, these lands shall be reverted to the provincial government.
Accordingly, the donation was revoked in 1995 after the Cebu government discovered that some of the parcels of land had been transformed into housing sites for military personnel and even informal settlers, and golf driving range.
Bacarro said the recovery of the parcels of land went through a long process which began 12 years ago.
“Our eagerness to work with the provincial government is founded not only on respect for the rule of law or compliance with the decision of the Supreme Court but also on our fervent desire to cultivate a solid relationship for the benefit of everyone especially the local communities directly impacted by the situation,” Faustino said.
With the resolution of the land dispute, Bacarro expressed hope that the AFP and Cebu government will strenthen their partnership in serving the best interest of Cebuanos.
“Rest assured that the AFP through the Visayas Command, shall remain as your reliable, credible and highly capable partner in protecting the peace and facilitating development in your communities,” the AFP Chief said.