Makati, Taguig in showdown over BGC

MANILA, Philippines - The turf war over Bonifacio Global City turned ugly yesterday after Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay demanded that Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano surrender at least 50 Taguig employees who allegedly attacked Makati personnel installing “Welcome to BGC Makati” posters along McKinley Road Wednesday.

Ryan Guray, 28, a staff member of Makati’s Barangay Southside, was hurt when a Taguig public order and safety office employee grabbed his mobile phone as he tried to film the POSO members taking down posters being installed by the workers of an advertising firm, escorted by members of the Makati Anti-Drug Council at around 11 a.m.

Binay presented surveillance footage of the incident during a press conference yesterday.

“McKinley Road in Forbes Park is part of Makati. I don’t think Taguig plans to take over this area,” he said.

Binay said Makati was not trying to instigate any incident when it installed posters along McKinley Road. He said they just “want to tell the public that BGC is part of Makati” after the Court of Appeals (CA) granted Makati jurisdiction over the BGC and Fort Bonifacio barangays.

Beaten up

Guray said that with the help of the Makati police, his cell phone was returned, but with its photos and videos deleted. He told reporters that he will file charges against the still unidentified POSO personnel who allegedly tried to beat him up when he refused to hand over his phone and he tried to hide in his car.

Binay said Taguig POSO employees loaded the pro-Makati posters into a Taguig government pickup truck and fled toward the nearby BGC area when Makati police and members of the Barangay Forbes Park security arrived at the scene.

According to Binay, Makati police officers chased around 50 Taguig POSO personnel in the BGC and arrested POSO employee Roger Orbillo for possessing an unlicensed .45 caliber pistol.

Binay said the gun’s license had expired and Orbillo could not show a permit to carry the firearm outside his residence.

Binay told reporters that Orbillo was transferred to the custody of the Taguig police. However, he said he received information that Orbillo was no longer under the Taguig police’s custody.

“Under whose authority was he released? We will file an obstruction of justice charge against the Taguig (police),” he said.

Binay said Taguig will find it hard to argue that it did not sanction the actions of its POSO employees. “A group of at least 20, most wearing ‘I love Taguig’ shirts? It’s hard to believe it was their own decision to create trouble in Makati,” he said.

POSO chief eyes charges

Taguig POSO chief Kim Pautin said yesterday that they will file charges against Makati police chief Senior Superintendent Manuel Lukban for encroaching on Taguig’s jurisdiction when his men went to BGC and arrested Orbillo.

He said there is no direct CA order for the Makati police to exercise jurisdiction in BGC and the National Capital Region Police Office has ordered that the Taguig police still has jurisdiction over BGC until a final court ruling is issued.

Pautin, however, said he will not shield members of the POSO who were involved in Wednesday’s fracas.

“Under the law, the area of responsibility should be respected at all times. In this light, we also register our demand that Makati surrender to Taguig all policemen and personnel… who encroached within our boundaries,” he said.

The Taguig City government also denied Binay’s allegation that Orbillo has been released, saying he remains in the custody of the Taguig police.