I met this morning with the mayor of Santa Fe Municipality and the Zoning supervisor regarding our pending building permit on Bantayan Island. We have already submitted complete and engineered building plans and have met all the requirements for a building permit. Even so, no permit will be issued.

Mr. Jeffrey Zamora, the Zoning supervisor explained the situation to us as follows:

As a result of Judge Marilyn Lagura-Yap's ruling MDE-182 last year, dealing with the intrusion of several structures beyond the 20 meter water boundary, the entire island of Bantayan will NOT issue any building permits for any structure closer than 100 meters to the shore.

Even though the intent of Judge Lagura-Yap's ruling was to prevent structures from being built closer than 20 meter, the governing authority on Bantayan Island, out of fear, has greatly extended that intent. At present there are more than 20 building permits that are on hold until Judge Lagura-Yap clarifies and defines what the restriction will be.

Already two large investors have withdrawn their intent to invest in Bantayan Island due to this impasse. Many such as my family, have their entire life's fortune invested in property that is now useless as a result of Judge Marilyn Lagura-Yap's decision.

Whether or not these terrible consequences were the intention of the judge, we do not know. For more than a year no clarification on the ruling has been handed down. With more than 20 building permits being on hold, so also are the lives of the family members who wait for the Judge to define her ruling. Also in peril are the people of the island of Bantayan who are suffering financially as a result of the the impasse.

I believe that the Zoning supervisor, Mr. Zamora is a good an honorable man who is simply trying to do his job. He will not sign off on the building plans of any beach front property because his fear is that if he does so, it may jeopardize his job in the future. Mr. Zamora concedes that the appearance of the judge's ruling is to protect the 20 meter boundary, but because the judge did not define her intent, the zoning department supervisor for Santa Fe Municipality will not take the chance and issue a building permit on any beach front property.

Can anyone blame him? I certainly do not.

The fault here lies with a ruling that does not define for those who have the task of carrying out the judge's orders. No one really knows what the intent of the judge is, that is why there is wide-spread fear on Bantayan Island to issue any permits at all.

Is is my hope and prayer that Judge Lagura-Yap will read this article and realize that her ruing designed to protect the people and Island of Bantayan is currently causing them hardship and harm.

Pastor Rob and Marissa Robinson
Citizens and Property Owners of Bantayan Island