Pateros joins tug of war over Fort Bonifacio

(Updated 12:02 p.m.) - As heavyweight cities Makati and Taguig continue their tug of war over Fort Bonifacio, the municipality of Pateros fights its own battle for the highly coveted area.

 

"It's our right and my responsibility to fight for what is ours, and historically what belonged to our ancestors," Pateros Mayor Joey Medina told GMA News Online in an interview on Wednesday.

 

According to Medina, Fort Bonifacio was a part of Pateros in the late 1800s to the early 1900s.

 

"Noong panahon na iyon, ang lugar na 'yan ay parte ng Barrio Mamangkat. It's one of our five barrios during that time," said Medina, adding that Pateros has documents and old maps as evidence.

 

Pateros, the smallest municipality in Metro Manila, claims its original land area included areas of Fort Bonifacio including Bonifacio Global City, and Barangays Pembo, Comembo, and Rembo. 

 

He said their case, filed in 1991, was elevated to the Supreme Court in 2009. However, the case was returned to the Regional Trial Court. 

 

"Eighteen years tumakbo... Ibinalik kami sa RTC noong 2009 dahil hindi raw nasunod ang provisions of the Local Government Code na kailangan muna ng council-to-council dialogue between Taguig, Makati, and Pateros," Medina said.

 

The 2009 Supreme Court decision also states that Pateros' petition to claim Fort Bonifacio was denied in 2003 for undertaking a wrong mode of appeal on the Makati City RTC Order in 1996. The order dismissed Pateros' complaint for lack of jurisdiction, as its complaint in 1991 was filed before the Pasig City RTC. 

 

Pateros' case is separate from the Court of Appeals decision declaring portions of Fort Bonifacio as being part of Makati and not Taguig, Medina said. 
 

Makati, already the wealthiest city in the Philippines, began its takeover a day after the CA ruling.

 

"Sa totoo lang, it's like a David vs. Goliath. Ang Makati at Taguig iyan ang halos premier cities, 'di lang sa Metro Manila but for the whole Philippines. Sila ang pinakamayaman, pinakamalaki. Two hundred hectares na lang ang Pateros. Malaki pa ang UP Diliman campus. Nawalan kami ng lupa. Ang budget namin, pinakamahirap at pinakamaliit kami," Medina said. 

 

Still, he remained optimistic that Pateros would be successful. 

 

"I believe in the justice system. Sa tingin ko naman kapag nakita ang aming mga dokumento, mga mapa at sedula noong araw, makikita ng hustisya at mabibigyan ng kung ano ang sa amin," Medina said.

Taguig reacts