Sunday, January 14, 2007 Pay parking firm files P4.5M damage suit vs 15 foes By Ernie N. Olson Jr.
ASIDE from the P4.5 million damage suit filed against Councilor Jose Molintas and five others last December 29, Jadewell also filed similar charges against 15 others for the same amount of damages before Manila's Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 22.
Lawyer Marcial Balgos of the Balgos and Perez Law Office, counsel for Jadewell, said the new set of charges were also filed against businesswoman Nelia Cid; veteran media practitioners Cecil Afable and Benny Areola; other Crusaders Against Jadewell members Nick Parado, Ramon Tagle and Benedicto Balajadia; Councilors Jose Molintas, Faustino Olowan and Rocky Balisong; Mark Baliton of Samahang Ilocano; Jeanette Ribaya and Chi Galvez of Tongtongan Ti Umili; Evelyn Miranda of Am-Among Nan Ifontok and Leonora Guinid of the Baguio Market Vendors Association.
The case was filed following the respondents’ barricade of the Jadewell office late last year.
"Despite the cases (won by Jadewell) and in total disregard of the restraints issued by the Supreme Court, the defendants have been mounting sustained attacks against (Jadewell's) continued management and operation of Baguio's pay parking system by distributing leaflets, culminating in their applying for a permit to hold a rally against the petitioner from Nov. 20 to Dec. 3, 2006 at Melvin Jones (along) Harrison Road, from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., but when it was approved by the Office of the City Mayor, instead of holding their rally at the place designated in the permit, the defendants entered the premises of the Ganza parking area, occupied the same and excluded not only the petitioner from managing and operating the parking area, but also the general public, by putting up barricades at all the entry and exit passages of the parking area, and instead of conducting a peaceful rally thereat, held noisy parties and messed up the area for four-and-a-half days, obligating the plaintiff to spend certain sums of money and utilizing personnel to clear up the debris left by the defendants," Balgos said.
Jadewell is now seeking the assistance of the Supreme Court (SC) to order the defendants to jointly and severally pay them actual and compensatory damages amounting to P2 million; exemplary damages of another P2 million; and attorney's fees in the sum of P500,000, "and also prays for trebled costs and for such other measures of relief that (the SC) may deem just and proper in the premises."
