Alburquerque Mayor Efren Tungol acted swiftly last week to close the business of what appeared to be an “arrogant” pet snake owner even if it costs the symbol of the town’s popularity in terms of tourist attractions. But a certain Eugene Salibay, the purported owner of the pet snake, countered with vehement protestation that he complied all legal requirements to operate the business of having the reptile viewed by tourists for a fee. The Post found this Salibay “arrogant” during a phone interview as evidenced from his high handed answers to the questions of this paper’s reporter. For example, when Salibay was asked politely if he can show to media his so-called pertinent papers , with a raised voice he answered in Cebuano: Ngano, ug tagaan mo ug mga papeles, makatabang ang media sa akong problema? (Why, if we furnish you the papers, will it help my problem?)

The same hostility was showed by the owner when asked by the reporter who his lawyer is. He said he cannot be compelled to identify his lawyer. But the owner’s alleged high-handedness in the face of the mayor’s decision proved to be his own undoing when the chief executive insisted to close the Bohol Python, Eco-Tourism and Wildlife Park, the Alburquerque tourist attraction. The reason cited: the eco-park has no mayor’s permit for years. For Salibay, it was his word and the mayor’s and in an interview with Mayor Tungol in the program “Cuentas Claras”, he said, he would stand by his word that the pet owner has no mayor’s permit. For 15 years, Salibay made good business of the phyton in captivity by soliciting donations from onlookers cum tourists. Estimates of his daily income varies. One estimate said it is in the vicinity of P5,000 as its lowest and as high as P12,000 at its peak. According to callers of the radio program most likely tourists’ car drivers, the pet owner is not issuing any official receipts to patrons. The owner argued that no official receipt is needed because he was only soliciting donations from viewers.

Whatever that means, Mayor Tungol was not convinced.

Quoting a provision of the Local Government Code of 1991, he said an LGU like Alburquerque is empowered to regulate business of any kind in the locality. According to the mayor, he decided to close the establishment after several repeated demands from its owner for him to get a mayor’s permit, but all this, only fell on deaf ears. With the closure two barangays—East Poblacion and Santa Filomena, were also deprived of their income. The road leading to the snake center traverses through the two barangays prompting its officials to exercise their taxation powers to get a piece of the action. The two barangays charge at least P10 per van/car. For big buses, the charge is P20/. At least four policemen were stationed by Mayor Tungol at the entrance of the snake center to inform tourists going there about the closure order