Las Piñas opens village gates

Traffic in United BF Homes in Parañaque City has eased up in the last few days following the decision of the Las Piñas City government to open two village gates under its jurisdiction.

Las Piñas Mayor Imelda Aguilar ordered the opening of the BF International gate at Southville and the gate leading toToyota Alabang three days ago upon the request of Parañaque City Mayor Florencio Bernabe.

The Parañaque mayor is currently involved in a dispute with United BF Homeowners Association Inc. (UBFHAI) president Celso Reyes over the opening of the village gates on Aguirre and El Grande streets to motorists last week.

Las Piñas information officer Jimi Castilliano told The STAR that Aguilar simply enforced a city ordinance that put up "friendship roads" inside subdivisions to ease traffic on the main roads of the city.

The two gates are now being manned by Las Piñas police officers and barangay watchmen for the protection of the homeowners.

Bernabe, for his part, also has assured city residents that his office will do its best to protect their privacy and the safety of their homes in the midst of a dispute over the opening of village gates in United BF Homes.

"We will maintain police presence and visibility in your subdivision. We have also assigned traffic enforcers backed up by barangay watchmen on a round-the-clock basis to keep traffic flowing smoothly on your roads," he said in a letter addressed to BF homeowners.

Despite the assurance, Reyes said his group will be holding protest actions tonight to express their opposition to the opening of their gates by the local government.

The Parañaque government opened the village gates last week after receiving complaints from business establishment owners about the excessive fees and charges being collected by UBFHAI as well as the abuses committed by village guards.

"I have ordered a valid exercise of the police power vested in me by law in opening the El Grande and Aguirre gates and placing these under the control of the city government through the coordination of the local officials of Barangay BF for the purpose of regulating the use of these roads at certain specific hours of the day," he said.

The Parañaque City Council has passed an ordinance that reclassified both Aguirre and El Grande as commercial roads for public use. – With Rhodina Villanueva