SPEED personnel accused of harassment for putting up city basketball boards

CEBU, Philippines - Barangay captain Rechie Sibla of Buot-Taop yesterday accused City Hall of harassment for sending the Squatters Prevention Encroachment and Elimination Division in their area to remove the basketball boards of congressional candidate Jonathan “Atan” Guardo installed in a government-owned basketball court.

“Niari diri ang taga-SPEED para muhangyo na ilisan nila ang board ni Atan, pulihan sa board ni Mayor Tom. Pero para namo harassment ‘tong ila kay gihadlok mi nila nga kung dili mi musugot na ilisan, kuhaon nila hasta ang goal,” Sibla said.

Sibla said that the city government should have asked the consent of the barangay, particularly sitio Taop, before they can touch the facility because, he said, the goals and court are already a barangay property since it was donated by the city government during the term of Alvin Garcia as the city mayor.

“Ila na hinuon ming kuhaan og kalingawan. Naa ra ba mi liga sa basketball karon kay nagkaduol ang pista, na-issue pa g’yud ni,” Sibla said.

Sibla frowned over the thought that City Hall is offering a replacement for the basketball boards just now while during the time he kept requesting City Hall for replacements of the then dilapidated boards of Cebu City Mayor Tomas Osmeña, his requests were always neglected.

Osmeña, however, insisted that the goals and court are government property and not donated to the barangay so it is the right and obligation of the city to protect its property against abuse and political purposes of the candidates.

“Let him show the deed of donation, that will clear everything,” Osmeña said.

“Atan is harassing the city government by lording over city-owned goals,” Osmeña said. He earlier said that with Atan’s boards currently installed in several city-owned goals, the latter is violating several laws like destruction of government property, trespassing and illegal billboards.

Sibla yesterday just allowed the SPEED team to remove Atan’s boards to avoid trouble.

“Ako na lang sila giingnan na hinay-hinaya lang na diha ug paminawa sad unta ang sentimyento sa mga tawo,” Sibla said. — Jessica Ann R. Pareja/BRP, Staff Member