After an excellent mediation by the members of San Esteban Municipal Council, residents of Sitio Lipit of Barangay Poblacion may finally sleep well.
This has been the pronouncement of Vice Mayor Norman V. Mendoza during the regular session of the Sangguniang Bayan last October 20, 2003 where it was declared through a resolution sponsored by SBM Florence V. Ramirez that the residential area of Sitio Lipit is part of Barangay Poblacion.
Presiding in the presence of Barangay Officials of Poblacion and affected residents of the said Sitio, the Vice Mayor narrated that:
“As early as October 10, 2003, residents of Sitio Lipit submitted this August Body requesting the Mayor and Sangguaniang Bayan to make representation with the Commission on Election (COMELEC) to retain their present addresses specifically at Barangay Poblacion. This is a response to the earlier decision of the town’s Election Officer ordering the transfer of voter’s addresses residing in the said Sitio from Barangay Poblacion to barangay San Rafael consistent with the National Precinct Mapping and CVL Verification Project of the Commission. As a reply, SBM Florence Ramirez sponsored a resolution supporting the said petition of the affected residents. Thereafter, the council of Barangay San Rafael submitted before this August Body a resolution expressing that they are not interested to contest the claim of Barangay Poblacion. The Council of Poblacion, on the other hand, submitted before this August Body a resolution requesting the municipal council to act in favor of the petition and declare the residential area of Sitio Lipit as part of Barangay Poblacion.”
In support of their claim, the barangay council of Poblacion with the assistance of the Municipal Council, submitted as evidences the Tax Mapping Survey of the residential lot of Sitio Lipit done in 1969- 1971, sworn statements of the most senior citizens of the said Sitio, birth certificates of certain residents, declaration of real properties done before and after the said survey and certain court documents.
The Vice Mayor also pointed out that the controversial Sitio has 14 housing units having 38 registered voters that includes 4 Barangay Kagawads serving in Barangay Poblacion.
He further stressed that the decision (thru a resolution) of the SB declaring Sitio Lipit as apart of Poblacion was forwarded to the Provincial Board for an appropriate scrutiny and guidance.
“The issue regarding the Sitio Lipit could be a landmark case if decided with finality involving the COMELEC’ implementation of its National Precinct Mapping and CVL Verification Project,” the Vice Mayor remarked.”
In other developments, Municipal Mayor Armando V. Abad stared (by way of opinion) in a letter endorsing the municipal resolution 003-48 (which declares Sitio Lipit as part of Barangay Poblacion) that the surveyors committed an error during the cadastral survey done in 1969-71 by not giving due notice to the affected residents of Sitio Lipit regarding their change of addresses.
He said, “Now is the opportune time to correct the injustice done to the residents of Sitio Lipit. “
