DILG blasted over creek row
Lao, a businessman and engineer, claims the unauthorized structures are the primary cause of flooding in four nearby subdivisions.
Daily TribuneLao, a businessman and engineer, claims the unauthorized structures are the primary cause of flooding in four nearby subdivisions.
Besieged by homeowners for the recurring floods impacting nearby subdivisions, Parañaque City resort owner Selwyn Lao also tossed the blame on the Department of the Interior and Local Government, or DILG.
Four months ago, Lao sent a scathing letter to Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos Jr., accusing his agency of inaction regarding the diversion of Baloc-Baloc Creek, which separates Barangays Moonwalk and Don Bosco.
The original creek allegedly became clogged when four houses were illegally built on top of it after the subdivision owner, Camella Homes Subdivision, appropriated the creek and diverted it through a smaller man-made waterway.
Lao, a businessman and engineer, claimed the unauthorized structures were the primary cause of the flooding in four nearby subdivisions.
In his letter dated 18 August 2023, he urged the DILG to launch a thorough investigation into the issuance of building permits for the creek-top houses and to take swift action to rectify the situation.
Way back on 18 May 2015, Lao had written Sen. Cynthia Villar to appeal for her intervention in resolving the issue and for a possible settlement, as her family was among the key owners of the subdivision project. But, according to him, the senator failed to act on it.
"For the past 15 years, I've been trying to reach out to your company, which is responsible with Camella Homes, for a possible settlement of the issue after my lot was encroached upon by the development of Camella Executive Homes in Barangay Don Bosco," the letter read.
"I would like to offer a conciliatory solution to solve the problem once and for all. Please give me a chance to present it," Lao added in a handwritten note.
Lao also provided DAILY TRIBUNE a copy of his lot title (Transfer of Certificate Title), originally registered on 2 October 1958, to prove that he legally owned the one-hectare lot at Multinational Village he acquired from evangelist Mike Velarde in 1996.
According to the title, Lao's lot is bounded on the north, northeast, and east by a creek, on the southeast by the property of one Sabas de Guzman, and the southwest and northwest by the property of one Eugenio Espiritu.
"We implore your office to initiate a thorough investigation into this matter and take the necessary steps to rectify the situation promptly," Lao wrote the DILG. "The urgency of the matter necessitates timely and decisive action to mitigate the existing damages and prevent further harm to our property and the environment."
In his letter to Abalos, Lao asked the agency to investigate the building permits issued to four houses on the creek.
"We kindly implore your office to initiate a thorough investigation into this matter and take the necessary steps to rectify the situation promptly. The urgency of the matter necessitates timely and decisive action to mitigate the existing damages and prevent further harm to our property and the environment," Lao's letter read.
He said the construction of houses on Baloc-Baloc Creek has led to substantial damage, including dismantling his fence after the original water course of the creek was obstructed.
"We wish to emphasize that the issue herein is not just that unscrupulous individuals violated the three-meter easement required by law; worse, they have deliberately obstructed the creek, blatantly building residential structures on the creek itself. The creek has now, through their activities, turned into a sewage system," the letter said.
Lao, a civil engineer who owns a construction firm based in Pasig City, attached a structural survey plan of the creek with property boundaries between Camella Homes Subdivision and Lao's Wing-An Garden Resort.
According to him, Camella Homes's road and fence encroached on his property.
"Camella Homes' constructions are situated over the creek, as indicated by the blue highlights that match the title's information. It also establishes that the Apan/Orocio lot lacks an easement and occupies the creek," the letter said.
Health hazard for residents
Lao said the construction of houses or structures on top of the creek clearly violates the law.
He added that the issues remained unresolved despite his repeated appeals to the local government of Parañaque City and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
"We remain disproportionately affected by the repercussions of these unauthorized constructions, particularly during strong typhoons. The deviation of the water flow onto our property has led to substantial damage, exacerbated by the disposal of waste by the occupants of those structures.
This, in turn, has created an unsanitary environment, harboring mosquitoes that pose a considerable threat to our health and well-being," the letter read.