Traders ready to ‘fight’ City Hall

Thursday, January 19, 2012

CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- A group of businessmen with establishments along Jose Abad Santos Avenue here are ready to wage a legal battle with the City Government regarding charges that their properties did not meet the required setback limit.

The group of about 20 businessmen led by realtor Conrad Garcia said it was surprised to receive a letter from the City Engineer’s Office on January 10 informing them of the alleged encroachments and their demolition within seven days from the receipt of the communication.

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“We were surprised by the letter and the charges of encroachment, which they said was according to the local building code. It is also impossible to remove those encroachments if any, within seven days,” Garcia said.

During the program “Talakayan” over dwRW 95.1 FM, Garcia added the City Engineer’s Office led by former councilor Nelson Lingat should have called for a dialogue first before sending the “surprise notice.”

“We have been there for more than 20 years and we have complied with all the requirements of the local building code. According to Engr. Jose Datu of the DPWH [Department of Public Work and Highways], dapat daw one meter lang ang setback limit pag itinayo na iyung flyover doon. Sa gusto ng City Engineer, wala ng matitira sa properties namin like iyong restaurant ko. Baka comfort room na lang ang matira,” he said.

He also said that after a meeting with the group, they decided to seek the advice of a legal counsel to address the concern.

“We will fight for our rights at ilalaban namin ito. Akala ko ba business-friendly ang San Fernando?” he stressed.

’Barking up the wrong tree’

City Administrator Ferdinand Caylao said, however, that the business owners who will be affected by the construction of a flyover at the Lazatin Boulevard-Jasa intersection are “barking up the wrong tree.”

“That is for a fact a National Government project being undertaken by the DPWH. Under the local building code, the setback limit is at eight meters. But the City Government has no participation. Wala pa kaming ginalaw doon because works there are under DPWH,” Caylao told Sun.Star Pampanga.

He said the businessmen knew of the two-year social preparation program and consultations of the works along the avenue and the construction of the flyover starting with the earthballing of trees covered a proper City Council resolution.

Mediation and consultation

Caylao and Chief of Staff Rowee Freeman, admitting though that the City Engineer’s letter came short in the seven-day notice and was indeed “surprising,” said the city government is willing to mediate in a dialogue and consultation with the businessmen and DPWH.

“We will have to initiate that even if it is a national project. We are willing to mediate in the dialogue and consultation so we could help address the concern,” Caylo said.