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BGC complex is part of Taguig City, says Supreme Court



THE Supreme Court has ended the territorial dispute between the cities of Makati and Taguig over Fort Bonifacio, which includes Bonifacio Global City (BGC), a financial district.

The high court ruled that the area belongs to Taguig City, as it denied the petition for review filed by Makati questioning the ruling of the Court of Appeals that junked the city's bid to get territorial jurisdiction over Fort Bonifacio.

In a 53-page decision dated December 1,2021 but was released only recently, the tribunal reinstated the verdict of the lower court with modification.

The dispute involves ownership of the areas comprising the Enlisted Man's Barangay and the entire Fort Bonifacio.

The Pasig City Regional Trial Court earlier gave Taguig jurisdiction over the contested areas. When Makati brought the case before the Court of Appeals, the latter reversed the ruling of the lower court.

Taguig elevated the case before the SC in 2016, which in turn found Makati guilty of forum shopping after simultaneously appealing the lower court decision and filing a petition before the CA, asking for the same relief.

Taguig has argued that the EMB and Fort Bonifacio, formerly known as Fort William McKinley, were within its territory and jurisdiction.

It added that the former municipality of Taguig has been in existence for over 400 years.

"Fort Bonifacio Military Reservation, consisting of Parcels 3 and 3, Psu-2031, is confirmed to be part of the territory of the city of Taguig[,]" the tribunal said in its decision.

"The writ of preliminary injunction dated August 2, 1994 issued by the RTC [Regional Trial Court] of Pasig, explicitly referring to Parcels 3 and 4, Psu-2031, comprising Fort Bonifacio, be made permanent insofar as it enjoined the municipality, now city of Makati, from exercising jurisdiction over, making improvements on, or otherwise treating as part of its territory, Parcels 3 and 4, Psu-2031, comprising Fort Bonifacio," it added.

It also ordered the city of Makati to pay the costs of the suit.

The ruling was penned by Associate Justice Ricardo Rosario and concurred in by Associate Justices Marvic Leonen, Rosmari Carandang, Rodil Zalameda and Jose Midas Marquez.

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