Liloan barangay officials face complaint from lot owner

A landowner of barangay Catarman in Liloan town has threatened to file before the Ombudsman this week a complaint against the municipal engineer, the barangay captain, and two others for preventing him from fencing his property.

Edgar Vilbar, son in-law of landowner Agustin Cabahug, said the family is now gathering the necessary evidences for the filing of a case against municipal engineer Remedios Udtohan, barangay captain Roy Pilapil and Udtohan’s staff Charlie Bigno and Roberto Tiro.

Vilbar said the family is also planning to file criminal charges against American national Bobby Means for alleged grave threats on Cabahug’s 73-year-old wife, Sergia, last April 21.

"Nahadlok ko nga kon dili ni dayon masulbad, dunay kagubot nga mahitabo," said Vilbar.

Vilbar alleged that Means strongly opposed to the move of Cabahug in fencing his 2050-square meter lot because the American, who lived on the other side of the barangay, has been using part of the Cabahug lot as a road right-of-way.

Vilbar also alleged that Udtohan and Pilapil have been favoring the stand of Means because Cabahug’s application for a permit to construct the fence that would effectively block the American’s pathway has been allegedly ignored.

Means however has another road at the other side to use as his right-of-way if he wants to, said Vilbar.

Vilbar claimed that when they started constructing the fence, with bamboo poles and barbed wires, some people came and destroyed it.

Last April 16, Udtohan allegedly arrived at the place and confronted the people that Cabahug hired to dig the holes for the fence posts, asking them why they were constructing a fence without securing a permit first.

Pilapil had allegedly prohibited the Cabahug family from putting in filling materials into the property, Vilbar said as he explained why they are including the barangay captain in the complaint.

Cabahug insisted that he has the right to fence the property although he is not against anybody who wishes to buy his lot for any project. — Rene U. Borromeo/RAE