In the City of Las Piñas, the City Government announced through its official Facebook page that the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) set a new and much bigger reward for those who could provide information needed to identify and apprehend a person-of-interest (note: the gunman) wanted by the local authorities for the tragic killing of a radio broadcaster that happened on October 3 in the city. Previously the reward was set at P1.5 million.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Facebook post. Some parts in boldface…
The National Capital Region Police Office has announced a new reward of P6.5 million on any information that will lead to the identification and eventual arrest of the alleged gunman in the murder case of radio journalist Percy Lapid.
Any information concerning the case’s person of interest may be reported to the following contact details:
Cellphone: 0947 462 2859 or 0998 598 7928
Landline: 8808 7935 or 8525 8403
For added insight, posted below is the digital copy of the wanted poster…
Share this to others.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Las Piñas City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? With the reward now much bigger than before, are you more motivated to help the local authorities find the alleged gunman?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the GMA Network news report. Some parts in boldface…
Police investigators already have a person of interest in the October 3 killing of radio broadcaster Percival Mabasa, or more popularly known as Percy Lapid, the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) said Friday.
At a press briefing, NCRPO chief Police Brigadier General Jonnel Estomo said the person of interest was captured by CCTV cameras from along Lapid’s routes moments before he was shot dead.
“The Special Investigation Task Force Percy Lapid, with their ongoing follow-up investigation, confirmed to have developed a person of interest in the case as a result of their collection of all available backtrack CCTV footage along the victim’s routes before the incident happened,” Estomo said.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Benhur Abalos, who was also in the briefing, presented an enlarged printout of the person of interest, whose identity is still unknown.
“Importanteng ma-identify natin ang taong ito [it is important to identify this person],” Abalos said.
Estomo also announced that the reward money being offered to fast-track the resolution of the case has been increased from P500,000 to P1.5 million.
Estomo also said the additional cash reward came from “friends of the victim and concerned citizens.”
“Our very own SILG said that we are offering this reward to anyone who can provide information that will lead to the speedy resolution of this case,” Estomo said, referring to Abalos, who offered the initial P500,000 reward from his own pocket.
Estomo said the police are guaranteeing the safety and security of the informant.
Abalos, meanwhile, expressed confidence that with the reward money and the person’s picture released to the public, the person of interest would be identified soon and that it would be better for him to just surrender.
“Marami nang nakakaalam sa iyo, marami nang magsusumbong. Siguro sumuko ka na. Napakaimportante na sumuko ka na sapagkat pag-isipan mo, ‘yung mga nag-utos sa ‘yo baka may masamang gawin sa ‘yo,” Abalos said, addressing the person on the picture.
(A lot of people already know you and they may reach out to us. So perhaps you should surrender. It’s important that you surrender before whoever ordered you to commit the crime do something bad to you.)
Lapid, host of online broadcast program “Percy Lapid Fire” at DWBL 1242 and columnist for Hataw, was shot dead by two men while on his way home in Barangay Talon Dos, Las Piñas City on the night of October 3.
Malacañang earlier said President Marcos is “concerned” over the killing of Lapid.
Meanwhile, the family of the slain broadcast journalist appealed to Marcos Jr. to lead the investigation into the killing.
Interviewed on Unang Balita, Roy Mabasa, Lapid’s brother, said the President leading the investigation may put a stop to the killing of journalists “once and for all.”
“Nais kong manawagan sa Pangulo na sana ay pangunahan itong imbestigasyon. Dahil bakit ba natin gusto na ang Pangulo ang nasa unahan nito? Para matigil na once and for all ang killings sa mga journalist,” he said.
(I want to appeal to the President to hopefully lead the investigation. Why? So that for once and for all the killing of journalists will stop.)
For added insight, watch the news videos below…
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Las Piñas City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Did the recent killing make you feel uneasy? Are you willing to help the authorities identify and find the person-of-interest so that the case will be resolved?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
A gang of kidnappers whose members were described as transgendered people got busted by the personnel of Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) as a result of a joint operation with the Anti-Kidnapping Group of the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) and some military personnel, according to a Philippine News Agency (PNA) news report. The gang referred to as Warla had victimized more than ten people (including one victim in Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque City according to a Philippine Star news report) and they collected millions of Pesos worth of ransom money for the purpose of sex reassignment surgery (AKA sex change) for themselves.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA news report. Some parts in boldface…
Members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) dismantled a kidnapping syndicate whose members are transgenders.
In a press briefing at Camp Crame, Quezon City on Tuesday, CIDG director Brig. Gen. Ronald Lee identified the suspects as Francis Villa, Lawrenza Lingo, Johnas Belonio, Bernard Torres and Mark Joseph Pelonio, all members of the “Warla” kidnapping group.
They were nabbed in a joint operation with the PNP Anti-Kidnapping Group, National Capital Region Police Office and military troops on Oct. 1.
Lee said the modus of the group is to lure victims from dating apps and sites to meet up with their good-looking members.
Once abducted, the victims are brought to their safehouse and the suspects demand money from them in exchange for their release.
After receiving the ransom, the suspects drop off the victims in random places around Metro Manila.
The group is said to be operating in the southern part of Metro Manila, specifically in Parañaque, Pasay, Taguig, and Makati and has victimized around 14 persons.
They were able to collect total ransom money amounting to PHP4.2 million which will be used for their sex reassignment surgery or “sex change”.
Lee said the group was made known to the police after Taiwanese victim Michael Lee was rescued on Sept. 7 in Parañaque City, after he was abducted on Sept. 3.
The kidnapping group demanded a sum of money from the victim’s friends in exchange for his freedom. The victim’s friends were able to send money to five different digital wallets reaching a total of PHP308,000.
“For the longest time that I have been in anti-kidnapping operations, this is the first time we have encountered this group of transgenders who have already victimized 14 people. We are still backtracking to find out who they are and fortunately, Michael Lee complained and sought the help of the Taiwan police so that was the breakthrough in this case,” Lee said in Filipino.
Lee said the kidnapping group is led by a certain Mikey Ebol, a.k.a Mike Collado Ebol, who is now hiding.
After trailing transactions of the group, the police located four other suspects who had already surrendered — Dewie Shaine Collado Garcia, Charlemagne Olunan Vargas and Christian Paredes.
In their statements, they said the SIM (subscriber identity module) cards they owned were bought by Ebol.
During the investigation, Lee said the group was formed in 2018.
Col. Hansel Marantan, CIDG National Capital Region field unit director, said the name of the group was coined from the gay lingo “warlalu” which means “let’s get it on, let’s go to war”.
“They will post themselves as beautiful women on Facebook to lure their prey. And that’s it, once the victims are kidnapped, they will start negotiations like asking for PHP500,000 and the span of negotiations is very short. It takes only about three to four days and they use GCash as an avenue for the collection of money which is very hard to trace,” he added.
Further probe revealed that the group is involved in the illegal sale of firearms.
The PNP-AKG filed kidnapping charges against Ebol and his cohorts before the Department of Justice on Sept. 12.
Meanwhile, continuous manhunt operations are being conducted to track the whereabouts of Ebol, and his other members Lexi Villanueva, Jaine Martinez, Hector Magallanes a.k.a. “Yanyan”, Erwin Flores a.k.a. “Marga”, and Matthew San Diego.
As mentioned earlier, one of the victims was abducted in Parañaque City – specifically in Barangay BF Homes – on September 3 before getting rescued a few days later. The Philippine Star noted this in its own report. Posted below is an excerpt from the report. Some parts in boldface…
Three of the suspects – Dewie Shaine Garcia, Charlemagne Vargas and Christian Paredes – surrendered to police after they were found to be connected to the kidnapping of 58-year-old Taiwanese businessman Michael Lee in Barangay BF Homes, Parañaque on Sept. 3. He was rescued last Sept. 7.
Unfortunately, the Philippine Star report did not specify where exactly in Barangay BF Homes did the kidnapping happen. Right now the local authorities and their investigators are trying to figure out what exactly happened and what resources the kidnappers had.
This newest development should serve as a warning to all those who use dating sites or dating apps. There is the need to be cautious when interacting with someone through an online dating source. It is bad enough that there are lots of scammers here in the Philippines who try to lure people through text messaging and social media to get their money.
For added insight, watch the following news videos below…
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about these new developments? Are you concerned that you may have interacted with kidnappers pretending to be attractive individuals on dating sites or dating apps? Do these events make you afraid of online dating? Do you think your local community could be easily infiltrated by kidnap-for-ransom gang members?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
This past weekend, the annual Megarahe Sale of Alabang Hills Village resumed – fully titled as “Megarahe Sale & Kids Bazaar, Ukay-Okay!” – with the local community center as the venue. I visited the Megarahe Sale twice last weekend and I can confirm that it was a lively event as it attracted a lot of sellers who displayed a wide variety of items, and several buyers arrived and searched. There were also some really nice bargains on display. Take note that this is the first Megarahe Sale to be held in the last few years as the COVID-19 pandemic set everyone back.
A lot of sellers, customers and products during the Megarahe Sale in Alabang Hills this past weekend.
Some products on display.
For the newcomers reading this, the Megarahe Sale is Alabang Hills’ special community event held annually giving the local residents opportunities to sell goods to customers (including visitors who are able to enter the village with valid car stickers issued by the Alabang Hills Village Association) with a single, wide, and comfortable venue that can accommodate a lot of people.
As the name Megarahe shows, it is in concept a collective garage sale with the community in mind. More on the garage sale aspect, AHVA’s annual event spares local residents from having to go through all the trouble of organizing garage sales in their respective homes.
As I mentioned before, the return of Megarahe Sale is a very welcome development in line with the gradual normalization of life. Slowly but surely, people, communities, churches and businesses are recovering from the tremendous setback of COVID-19. At the same time, people nowadays are more educated about COVID-19, they got vaccinated or boosted for improved protection from COVID-19, and the national government already declared the optional use of face masks outdoors. Of course, lots of people have gotten sick and tired of spending so much time at home since the first COVID-19 lockdown started more than two years ago and this in turn fueled their desire to move out, go around and do their activities freely. In my opinion, the Megarahe Sale’s return is a blessing and the AHVA should be commended.
Customers checking out the items for sale.
Missing out on community events like this means missing out on bargains.
Megarahe Sale this year could inspire other residential communities and commercial joints in South Metro Manila to host or organize more community events as the Christmas season gets closer. I have fond memories attending in 2019 the BF HomeSarap food fair in BF Homes (specifically BF NorthWest), the Village Food Fair 2 at Madison Galeries, and Mardi Gras Bazaar 3 also at Madison Galeries. Also a few years ago, I attended a pre-Christmas bazaar inside Alabang Hills Village before the pandemic happened, and I wonder if the AHVA will be organizing a new one this year.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you were able to visit the Megarahe Sale in Alabang Hills this past weekend, what do you think about the event? Were you able to find and buy something? Did you take advantage of the bargains? Do you hope to see the Alabang Hills Village Association organize a pre-Christmas bazaar this November or December for your Christmas shopping needs?
For inquiries about Alabang Hills Village, visit https://alabanghillsvillage.com/ or call their association at 88508254. You can visit their office at 1 Don Jesus Boulevard inside Alabang Hills Village from Monday to Friday, 8AM to 5PM. Always remember to follow their rules and speed limits whenever you are in the village. Be aware also of the recent in-village traffic adjustments.
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
In the progressive City of Muntinlupa, more than thirty foreigners who were employed by a certain Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator (POGO) were rescued by local authorities and other parties at Barangay Alabang, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the Manila Bulletin report. Some parts in boldface…
A Malaysian and 33 other foreign nationals working at a Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) company in Muntinlupa were rescued by authorities on Wednesday, Sept. 28.
The Malaysian Royal Police, Southern Police District (SPD) Special Operations Unit, District Intelligence Division (DID), District Mobile Force Battalion (DMFB), and Muntinlupa City Police Station conducted a joint operation that led to the rescue of Soh Teck Koung, a Malaysian national, and 33 others at a POGO company located at Dexin 999 Building, Montillano St., Barangay Alabang, Muntinlupa.
One Chinese national, identified by the police as Qian Jing, 35, was arrested as a suspect during the operation.
According to the police, Soh Teck Koung works at the POGO company and his employer withheld his salary, deprived him of his liberty, and did not allow him to go outside the building.
They added that the suspect repeatedly threatened Soh Teck Koung if he would report to the authorities.
Soh Teck Koung called his mother in Malaysia for help, saying he was in danger. The mother contacted Malaysian authorities who coordinated with the Philippine police.
Upon verification, the POGO company was not able to present a business permit from the Business Permit and Licensing Office (BPLO) of the Muntinlupa City government.
As you can see in the above story, this trend about multiple foreigners getting trapped and abused by their POGO employers here in the Philippines is very disturbing. Think about this carefully – foreigners who arrived here in the Philippines for economic opportunities became prisoners and/or slave laborers in secretive ways under their employers.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this development? Do you think that there could be more POGOs in the city that became abusive with their employees and trapped them? Could there be a POGO near you where crimes are being committed behind the scenes?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
In the progressive City of Muntinlupa, more than four hundred local residents have gained temporary employment thanks to the Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program of the City Government, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
More than 400 Muntinlupa residents were given the chance to work for two weeks under the government’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD).
This was made possible through the initiative of Muntinlupa Rep. Jaime Fresnedi and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), which implements TUPAD.
A total of 451 beneficiaries recently underwent TUPAD orientation at the Muntinlupa Sports Complex in Barangay Tunasan that was attended by Mayor Ruffy Biazon and City Administrator Allan Cachuela, who gave messages for the workers.
Each TUPAD beneficiary will work for half a day for 14 days and will earn P570 per day or a total of P7,980, courtesy of Rep. Fresnedi’s social assistance fund.
The TUPAD program provides emergency employment opportunities for displaced or disadvantaged workers for at least 10 but not more than 30 days.
The above report ended stating that the work under TUPAD may cover social community projects such as repair or maintenance of public facilities, rehabilitation of public roads and bridges, or agro-forestry activities such as tree planting and reforestation
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Muntinlupa City resident, what is your reaction to this new development?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Water service problems from Maynilad are nothing new to their customers based in Muntinlupa City and other places covered by their services. In relation to the said problems, Maynilad got fined by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) and a new round of rebates to customers has been confirmed, according to a Manila Bulletin news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Bulletin news report. Some parts in boldface…
Maynilad Water Services Inc. was fined P9.26 million by the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System Regulatory Office (MWSS-RO) for water service interruptions from May to July this year in Muntinlupa and other service areas.
In a statement, MWSS-RO chief regulator Patrick Lester Ty said, “Based on the evidence gathered by the MWSS RO in its investigation into the prevailing water supply conditions in the West Zone, Maynilad Water Services, Inc. was found to have breached its service obligation of ensuring the availability of an uninterrupted twenty-four (24) hour supply of water at seven (7) pounds per square inch (psi) minimum pressure for more than 15 days to connected customers in parts of Las Piñas City, Muntinlupa City, Parañaque City, and Cavite Province (Bacoor, Imus, Cavite, Noveleta, and Rosario).”
Based on its findings, the MWSS-RO passed a resolution “to impose a financial penalty on Maynilad in the amount of nine million two hundred sixty-four thousand three hundred fifty-eight pesos (PHP 9,264,358) for the continued water service interruptions within the Putatan Water Treatment Plant (PWTP) supply zone.”
The Putatan Water Treatment Plant is located in Barangay Putatan, Muntinlupa.
MWSS-RO said the penalty on Maynilad will be carried out through bill rebates that will be given to the water company’s affected customers by November.
“The nature, scope, and other details of the Rebate Program will further be discussed in October, during a Public Information Drive (PIDr) that will be conducted by the MWSS RO, in cooperation with Maynilad,” Ty said.
He added that “the MWSS RO has directed Maynilad to fast-track the implementation of its proposed mitigating measures to address the deteriorating raw water quality in Laguna Lake, and ensure the continuity of water supply within its Service Area.”
Last February, the MWSS-RO imposed a penalty of P63.97 million on Maynilad for implementing water service interruptions in the supply zone of the Putatan Water Treatment Plant from December 2021 to February 2022.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Maynilad customer, what is your reaction to this development? Were you one of the many customers who suffered from water service interruptions?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
Recently twenty-nine foreigners were rescued by the police and social workers in Parañaque and all of them are employees of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs), according to a news article published by the Philippine News Agency (PNA).
To put things in perspective, posted below is the excerpt from the PNA news report with content translated into English. Some parts in boldface…
A total of 29 foreigners who purportedly became victims of human trafficking were rescued in Parañaque City, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported on Friday.
In a statement, PNP chief Gen. Rodolfo Azurin Jr. said 23 Myanmar nationals and six Chinese nationals were rescued by the police and social workers in an operation in Barangay Tambo at around 5 p.m. Thursday.
Investigation revealed that the victims are all Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) employees of the MOA Cloud Zone Corporation located at the NexGen Tower along C-4 Road, Epifanio de los Santos Avenue (EDSA) Extension in Pasay City.
The rescue operation stemmed from the referral of the Anti-Kidnapping Group (AKG) after two Myanmar nationals were turned over to them by lawyer Mark Ronquillo of Brickhartz Technology Incorporated on Sept. 22.
On Sept. 27, the case and the two Myanmar victims (one male and one female) were referred by the AKG to the PNP’s Women and Children Protection Center (WCPC) for further investigation.
The two victims also informed the investigators that a relative and other Myanmar nationals were left in the same company and are still being forced and exploited to work as online scammers, which resulted in the rescue operation.
The victims were recruited by a certain Chue Tiri Ngone a.k.a. “Christine”, a Myanmar national.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: What do you think about this new development? Do you believe that there are still lots of places within Parañaque where foreigners and local people who worked for POGOs got trapped as prisoners or slave laborers?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
In the City of Las Piñas, officials of the Municipality of Lingig (Surigao del Sur) led by their mayor Elmer Evangelio were hosted by the City Government. The result of the visit convinced Lingig to emulate Las Piñas City on governance, according to a Manila Standard news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Standard report. Some parts in boldface…
Local officials of Lingig town in Surigao del Sur have hinted they would emulate Las Piñas City as a role model for best practices in good governance.
Lingig Mayor Elmer Evangelio and other local officials of the town recently visited Las Piñas and were amazed with the hospitality afforded them by Mayor Imelda Aguilar and Vice Mayor April Aguilar.
During the benchmarking held at the Excelsior Hotel last Friday, Evangelio and his team were also impressed with the presentation made by the Las Pinas City government in demonstrating its successfully implemented practices making Las Piñas a progressive and safe place to live in.
During the event, the local government presented the city’s 4K Programs (Kalusugan, Kalinisan, Kaayusan and Kaalaman) being implemented under the Aguilar administration to deliver better services to the people.
Under the Kalusugan program, the city government enforces a green card program being distributed to residents for their medication and hospitalization; vaccination for children, and free cataract surgery.
With this program, the city was recognized by the Department of Health for its outstanding performance in surpassing the 96 percent target wherein the number of vaccinated children reached 106 percent.
The Kalinisan program, on the other hand, has the clean and green project and the proper disposal solid waste in order to maintain cleanliness in the city.
The local government also received the Safe City Award on August 9 based on the outstanding performance of the local police that made Las Pinas a city with the least crime volume.
Mayor Aguilar disclosed that the city’s police force also recorded the highest number of arrested suspects for committed crimes.
She said law enforcers made the city a “safer” place to live in Metro Manila because of the police visibility and the conduct of checkpoints in coordination with community leaders.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Las Piñas City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Are you happy that your city proved to be a role model for municipalities from far-away provinces such as the Municipality of Lingig?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
In the City of Las Piñas, there is this ongoing legal battle between the BF Resort Village Homeowners Association, Inc. (BFRVHAI) and a group of residents led by Senator Cynthia Villar with regards to a certain bridge and access into the village in relation to the Las Piñas City Friendship Route (note: for the background of the conflict, click here). More recently, the Villar-led group gained temporary advantage in at the Las Piñas Regional Trial Court (Las Piñas RTC), according to a Manila Standard news report.
To put things in perspective, posted below is an excerpt from the Manila Standard report. Some parts in boldface…
Officials of the BF Resort Village Homeowners Association, Inc. (BFRVHAI) lost another round in their legal fight with a group of like-minded Las Piñas residents led by Sen. Cynthia Villar over the opening of a particular street to the general public.
This developed after the Las Pinas Regional Trial Court (RTC) extended to 20 days ending on Oct. 9, 2022 its initial 72-hour temporary restraining order (TRO) issued on September 19 granted to Villar’s camp.
Meanwhile, the court set arguments for the issuance of a preliminary writ of injunction on Sept. 27-30.
The TRO as petitioned by Villar’s group prohibits the implementation of the new village traffic scheme whereby Onelia Jose St. inside the BF Resort Village (BFRV) would be open to the public as classified under the so-called Las Pinas Friendship Route.
Villar, a resident of BFRV since 1976, along with Rommel Dela Cruz and Virgilio Hernandez filed last Sept. 19 the petition for prohibition and mandamus with application for TRO and/or Preliminary Injunction against the BFRVHAI and its officers specifically Euan Rex Toralballa, Michael Roxas, and Angelo Ted Diesmos, among others.
“The Petition seeks to enjoin the respondents from enforcing the new BFRVHAI administration’s traffic scheme and instead comply with the local ordinances on Las Piñas Friendship Route,” said Villar.
“This include allowing Las Piñas City resident-holders of Friendship Route stickers to freely access and pass through the street, roads, avenues and thoroughfares declared to be part of the ‘Friendship Route’ in BFRV under the local ordinances,” she added.
The court found urgency issue a 72-hour TRO to prevent further damage, such as travel costs, productivity, wasted fuel and economic activity slow down to the city residents.
As early as 1995, the city government issued an ordinance directing developers and homeowners associations in Las Piñas to open and allow the public to freely use their streets as alternative routes (so called “Friendship Route”) to ease or decongest traffic along Alabang-Zapote Road and other main streets in Las Piñas, and imposing penalty for any violation.
The ordinance and the subsequent ordinances that followed, particularly City Ordinance No. 715 series of 2006, enumerated the specific streets and roads in every subdivision, village or compound that are covered by the “Friendship Route”.
The BFRV has ten such streets, including Onelia Jose that are part of the “Friendship Route”.
The controversy arose last July 24 after the newly-installed village administration posted security guards at the Onelia Jose St. who prevented Las Piñas resident-holders of the “Friendship” stickers to freely use the Onelia Jose St. that connects to the Zapote River Drive leading to CAVITEX and the bridge that leads to Bacoor, Cavite at a shorter distance.
Under the new traffic scheme implemented, non-BFRV residents, even if they are Las Piñas residents and holders of friendship stickers, will only be allowed entry and exit via Onelia Jose St. by BFRVHAI if they will buy BFRV sticker worth P2,500 per vehicle.
The move by the BFRVHAI’s new administration allegedly created confusion and protests from many Las Piñas residents of other subdivisions and villages since they have been enjoying their right of free access to the friendship route since 1995.
Let me end this piece by asking you readers: If you are a Las Piñas City resident, what is your reaction to this recent development? Do you constantly travel into or through BF Resort Village? If your vehicle has a valid Friendship Route sticker and you need to go to Cavite, is BF Resort Village your primary path for passing through? If you are BF Resort Village resident, what is your opinion about the ongoing legal battle between the HOA and the group of Senator Villar?
For more South Metro Manila community news and developments, come back here soon. Also say NO to fake news, NO to irresponsible journalism, NO to misinformation, NO to plagiarists, NO to reckless publishers and NO to sinister propaganda when it comes to news and developments. For South Metro Manila community developments, member engagements, commerce and other relevant updates, join the growing South Metro Manila Facebook group at https://www.facebook.com/groups/342183059992673
