The Manila Times

Land dispute derails airport plans

BY JERRY ADLAW

THE development plan of the General Santos (GenSan) City International Airport has been derailed by an ownership issue over a piece of property on its premises also claimed by the indigenous B’laan tribe as part of their ancestral domain.

Around 87 hectares of the 599-hectare area of the GenSan airport are being claimed by the indigenous tribe after these were declared part of the ancestral land domain by the office of the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) in the region.

The NCIP regional director Jeanne Anne Moendig-Zoilo has awarded the 87 hectares of land to the B’laan tribe by giving its Certificate of Ancestral Land Title to the IP claimants.

The B’laan tribe leader, identified as Zaldy Nei, is also a claimant of another portion of the property targeted for the airport development and is seeking consideration from the local government unit to give way to their ancestral land application.

The city government, however, refused to consider the tribe’s appeal and instead gave them a portion of a property also contested by another indigenous clan.

General Santos City Mayor Ronnel Rivera said the city government is firm on its stand under the Republic Act 5412 as amended by the RA 9649 cited that “all lands of the public domain having been ceded by the national government to the city of General Santos shall exercise the rights and prerogatives over such lands in the concept of a beneficial owner.”

He said that the disposition of all lands of the public domain within the city shall be in accordance with the provisions of Commonwealth Act 141, as amended and all other pertinent laws, executive issuances, rules and regulations.

“The NCIP has no right to award the airport property considering that the subject property is also covered under the Presidential Proclamation 219 issued on July 13, 1995,” the mayor said.

Rivera also said that the administration and management of all lands within “the public domain shall accrue exclusively and to be turned over immediately without need of demand to the city as provided in this act that the city government shall also at all times be consulted and informed of such disposition, administration and management.”

“That is why I am questioning the NCIP why it declared the GenSan airport as ancestral land domain claimed, and it is a fact that the city government shall concur prior to any disposition, administration and management of such public lands,” Rivera said.

The NCIP regional director, meanwhile, urged the local government of GenSan to file a formal complaint before the office of the NCIP Region 12 if there was a problem about the awarding of the ancestral domain title to the B’laan tribe.

The NCIP argued that awarding the airport’s portion of the area to a claimant would require a congressional act that would reclassify it as alienable and disposable lands for the formal issuance of an original certificate of title from the Registry of Deeds.

Airport operations, however, have not been affected by the land ownership claims.

Regions

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2021-12-05T08:00:00.0000000Z

2021-12-05T08:00:00.0000000Z

https://digitaledition.manilatimes.net/article/281792812313875

The Manila Times