Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay
From the mayors to the law enforcers, tension continues to rise between the cities of Taguig and Makati over the control of Fort Bonifacio.
Police and civilian teams from both cities figured in a standoff Wednesday night, according to Makati Mayor Jejomar Erwin Binay, who on Thursday denounced the incident.
Binay said members of the Makati police were making the rounds in a patrol car at the corner of Lawton and Kalayaan Streets around 6 p.m. when they noticed another vehicle tailing them.
The Makati policemen stopped and got out of the car to ask the occupants of the other vehicle why they were following them. They also asked if they had seen the persons who earlier that day allegedly removed streamers on Kalayaan which read “Welcome to BGC, Makati”.
BGC stands for Bonifacio Global City, an upscale commercial and residential area which a Court of Appeals ruling handed back to Makati last month after a 20-year dispute with Taguig. The ruling placed seven barangays under Makati’s jurisdiction.
Taguig, however, has yet to yield control, saying the ruling is not yet final and executory.
Binay alleged that instead of answering the Makati policemen, the other group, who turned out to be from Taguig’s Public Order and Safety Office (POSO), radioed to colleagues for reinforcement and had the Makati team surrounded.
The Makati policemen then asked for their own backup. When it arrived, it was composed of around 25 police officers in five patrol cars and included the city police chief, Senior Supt. Manuel Lukban.
By then, the POSO men were reinforced by Taguig policemen and a SWAT team. Binay said they numbered around 50.
In an interview Thursday, Lukban explained that the faceoff stemmed from a mere “miscommunication” between the two groups and that tensions were immediately doused after he spoke with the officials of POSO and the Taguig police.
The Taguig police chief, Senior Supt. Art Asis, also maintained that nothing violent happened. “We are all under the Philippine National Police. Our actions are all coordinated so it is not true that there was a rift between the Taguig and Makati police.”
“The status quo is still in effect. We are still awaiting word from the National Capital Regional Police Office and the Department of Interior and Local Government,” he said.
But Binay used stronger words to de scribe Wednesday night’s incident.
In a statement, the mayor and son of Vice President Jejomar Binay said “I cannot help but express my dismay and frustration over the actions of these Taguig personnel. You do not win an argument with intimidation and Gestapo tactics.”
“Can they explain why public safety personnel would be so bold as to gang up on policemen? They are showing total disregard for the law and our law enforcers,” he said.
The statement also noted that prior to the incident, several men wearing “I Love Taguig” shirts onboard a vehicle similar to that used by the POSO team reportedly removed the “BGC” banners along Kalayaan Avenue, which he said was “clearly outside Taguig jurisdiction.”
It was the second incident this month that saw a confrontation between Taguig and Makati personnel.
On Aug. 15, a Bantay Bayan team from Taguig surrounded members of the Makati Engineering Department who were conducting a land survey in Barangay Southside and ordered them to leave.