MPLOYEES affected by the land squabble between the Provincial Government and ancestral land claimants at Wangal, La Trinidad have transfer to other housing areas.
This is to shield them from the problems besetting the Benguet Provincial Government and the individuals claiming portions of the 54-hectare lot, identified as a housing site for employees of the province.
Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan said employees whose housing sites are affected by the ancestral claims, may have to be transferred to other areas.
Fongwan said looking for other sites to put up housing for provincial employees might be considered an option to settle the long-standing dispute involving the government lot and ancestral land claimants.
More than 10 hectares of the 54-hectare lot segregated for use by the Provincial Government is being claimed by the heirs of four ancestral claimants.
About 339 lot awardees from the Provincial Government are affected by the ancestral land claims.
In 2006, then governor Borromeo Melchor recognized the ancestral claims within the government property, which prompted the claimants to ask President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to segregate their claims from the government lot.
The lands were subdivided and the subdivision survey was approved by the Land Management Services of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
This was, however, contested by the present administration, saying there were lapses committed during the process, including the absence of an authority given to the former governor to endorse the conduct of a subdivision survey.
The committee, which was tasked to probe the approval of the subdivision survey for the land claimants, recommended the filing of a case against individuals who may have violated provisions of the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices, and other employees who took part in facilitating the approval of the subdivision plan. (JC) ( sun star baguio )
