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Santos wants small cargo vessels OK’d at East Harbor
Santos
Sen. Teresita A. Santos (Ind-Rota) has requested Rota Mayor Efraim Atalig to pursue the recommended amendment to an agreement to authorize small vessels to use Rota’s East Harbor to dock.
Currently, East Harbor remains under the management and control of the Rota Municipality. Santos’ proposal would state that the harbor shall be utilized only for the specific purposed provided in the 2006 Agreement for Designation of Use of Public Domain Lands.
In her letter to Atalig Wednesday, the senator said the 2006 Agreement on the use of the East Harbor needs to be amended to include not only “recreational purposes” but also “commercial purposes” in order to provide flexibility to accommodate small cargo vessels such as those with roll on and roll off capabilities.
Santos said the issue pertaining to the use of the East Harbor came up in 2013 when then-acting Department of Public Lands secretary Ramon Salas verbally authorized private firm GPPC to conduct a one-time “dry run” of GPPC’s vessel to dock at the East Harbor.
Santos said then-attorney general Joey P. San Nicolas agreed with her in 2013 that Salas lacked such authority.
She said San Nicolas noted that he could not issue a cease-and-desist order to GPPC because the harbor falls under the Commonwealth Ports Authority’s jurisdiction.
Santos said that Attorney General Edward Manibusan noted in 2019 that control and management of the East Harbor is under the Rota Municipality in accordance with the 2006 Agreement for Designation.
Santos said that in June 2021, Manibusan commented on Senate Bill 22-16 authored by Sen. Paul A. Manglona (Ind-Rota) that seeks to authorize the use of the East Harbor as an alternate port of entry for small cargo vessels.
She said Manibusan noted that CPA has jurisdiction over designated ports of entry, ensures safety, and that there must be technical and economic assessment whether the East Harbor is a feasible option in light that the West Harbor is the designated port of entry on Rota.
