By Nazario Rodriguez Jr.
Horizon news staff

The Bureau of Lands and Surveys has until Feb. 11 to file claims to the Land Court.
BLS Director Gilbert U. Demei said that this would mean that April 10 is the last day of monumentation work, according to law.
Demei said that under RPPL 7-3, which was enacted and took effect on Feb. 11, 2005, the notice to claimants will stop on Feb. 11, 2007.
"Beyond that we can no longer file any claim," he said.
Demei said that the OEK may amend the law in order to extend the BLS mandate to implement the monumentation program.
The BLS will issue a revised schedule to take effect Jan. 15.
For instance, he said that at the moment the BLS is scheduling six survey teams for the State of Ngaraard alone.
Demei said that from March 1, 2005 to October 20, 2006, the BLS, under RPPL 6-31 and RPPL 7-3, has transmitted to the Land Court some 2,336.
The BLS is hopeful that Congress would pass and transmit again to the President for signing to extend its mandate as well as the Land Court.
The proposed amendment, which was a rider to the budget bill that was vetoed recently, is at the committee level in the Senate.
The amendment is to extend the time and also to delete a provision that compels that BLS to send notices to offices outside of Palau.