Tabogon officials hit over boundary marker

CEBU - The municipal officials of Tabogon were hit over the erection of a boundary arc which allegedly encroached into the lot that is already part of Borbon along the national highway in northern Cebu.

It was learned that the barangay officials of Ilihan, Tabogon funded the construction of the boundary arc.

This prompted the municipal council of Tabogon headed by Vice Mayor Felix Catam-isan to request Ilihan barangay captain Pablito Echivarre to appear in its session last September 8.

“Matters pertaining to the legal implications of the newly constructed boundary arc will be discussed,” Catam-is said in his letter to the barangay dated September 3.

Echivarre however refused the invitation saying, “Sila’y naay tuyo, sila’y paari-a nako sa barangay.”

The invitation was suspected to be politically motivated since the arc has the name of Fourth District Rep. Benhur Salimbangon while town officials headed by Mayor Eusebio Dungog are allied with the Martinezes.

Echivarre made it clear that Salimbangon has not given any financial assistance for the erection of the boundary arc and it was solely funded by the barangay in the amount of P102,000 when it was constructed in May this year.

A senior staff of Salimbangon confirmed the statement of Echivarre and suspected that somebody from the camp of the Martinezes is behind the motive since the barangay is now recipient of several projects of the congressman.

Salimbangon’s staff told The FREEMAN that it is not the town officials of Tabogon who could determine if the erection of boundary arc is illegal because the road belongs to the Department of Public Works and Highways and not the municipality of Borbon.

Echivarre clarified that the structure is not a boundary arc but a welcome arc to let the motorists know that their barangay is part of Cebu’s fourth district, which is headed by Salimbangon.

Barangay Ilihan in Tabogon is the first barangay to be passed by motorists if they are going north after the barangay of Goyong in Borbon town which belongs to the fifth district under Rep. Ramon Durano V.

The welcome arc is located a few meters away from the true boundary between barangay Ilihan in Tabogon and barangay Goyong in Borbon, said Echivarre. — Gregg M. Rubio/WAB (THE FREEMAN)