Taguig City on Tuesday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to act on lingering issues on its turf war with neighbor Makati City over which of the two local government units (LGUs) has jurisdiction over upscale Bonifacio Global City (BGC) and adjacent villages. In a five-page manifestation and motion, Taguig officials, led by Mayor Lani Cayetano, asked the SC to 'require (the) City of Makati and Mayor Abigail Binay to show cause why they (Binay) should not be sanctioned,' citing statements allegedly made by Binay that the high court has agreed to reopen the issue already decided on December 2021. The SC affirmed the ruling with finality in April that the Fort Bonifacio Military Reservation, where BGC is located, belongs to Taguig and enjoined the Makati City government to cease from "exercising jurisdiction over, making improvements on, or otherwise treating as part of its territory.' 'While such social media post could have been dismissed as nothing more than 'fake news,' an interview with Mayor Abigail Binay subsequently surfaced which echoed the same message that the fight is allegedly not yet over, and appeared to support and confirm the social media post on the supposed 'reopening' (of the case),' Taguig City's petition read. Makati City Administrator Claro Certeza issued a statement on behalf of Binay, who is in the United Kingdom to attend the London Tech Week and a garden reception at 10 Downing Street hosted by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Certeza denied the Taguig statement over the weekend that Binay brought the dispute to Malacañang and said they have not heard of any petition 'brought before the Supreme Court on the basis of social media posts with dubious authorship, accuracy and credibility.' 'These social media posts invoked by Taguig have made outrageous and irresponsible allegations against the President, the First Lady and the Court itself. They have been ignored by credible media outlets and for good reason. No right-thinking lawyer would petition the High Court on the basis of these posts. Yet, Taguig, displaying unfathomable wisdom, has chosen to do so. Regardless, if we are asked to comment by the Supreme Court, we will file our comment," Certeza said. Taguig based its claim over the BGC area on its existence for over 400 years initially as a pueblo (town) of the province of Manila, now Rizal. In 1903, the municipality of Pateros absorbed Taguig and Muntinlupa but in 1905, the municipality of Pateros was changed to Taguig and reacquired its former area and absorbed territories of Pateros and Muntinlupa. On Jan. 20, 1995, President Fidel V. Ramos issued Special Patent No. 3595 conveying the land in favor of the Bases Conversion Development Authority and Special Patent 3596 which conveyed parcels of land within Taguig in favor of the Fort Bonifacio Development Corp. The Pasig Regional Trial Court Branch 153 also ruled on July 8, 2011 that 'Fort Bonifacio Military Reservation is confirmed to be part of the City of Taguig.'

Source: Philippines News Agency