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Sunday, October 21, 2007
Millions lost in City’s mall closure order
By Allan I. Varquez
CEBU CITY -- For the nine hours that Marina Mall was closed last Friday, businessman Efrain Pelaez Jr. lost about P5 million, while Save More Supermarket, one of the 80 tenants in his mall, lost P3 million.
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“Some of my tenants are contemplating of filing a suit to claim damages for their businesses. This is the product of Mayor (Arturo) Radaza’s arrogance and the ill advice of his legal minds,” Pelaez said.
Some workers said Radaza should resign because he has lost his prudence in managing the affairs of Lapu-Lapu City.
But City Administrator Teodulo Ybañez appealed for respect, particularly from the Cebu Provincial Government, for Lapu-Lapu’s independence and its officials’ exercise of their “prerogatives”.
“As an independent local government unit (LGU), they should look at us as an entity enforcing our local laws. It would have been tyranny if we did it without any legal basis. And if the provincial officials want us to explain why it had reached that point, we will be glad to do it,” Ybañez said.
He was referring to a reaction from Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, who described the city officials’ action as “tyranny and outright hooliganism.”
The City Government ordered the closure of Marina mall after the lapse of the 10-day period for Pelaez to secure a building permit, mechanical permit, electrical permit and plumbing permit for his mall.
The mall reopened about 5 p.m. last Friday, after the Philippine Economic Zone Authority asserted its jurisdiction over the establishment, which lies within the Mactan Economic Zone in Barangay Pusok.
Angry, confused
City Hall also demolished the causeway of Pelaez’s Goldpoint Land Corp. in Barangay Agus last Friday for lack of a permit.
Lapu-Lapu Regional Trial Court Judge Toribio Quiwag has issued a temporary restraining order against the demolition of the mall and other properties of Pelaez.
City officials, however, said their action was legal because the court did not restrain them from closing the Marina mall—only demolishing it.
Some tenants and their workers were angered by the closure, which was implemented about 8 a.m. They called on Mayor Radaza to resign because instead of improving the city’s economy, he has scared business away from Lapu-Lapu.
“I was surprised and I was confused. This is bad for business and no businessman in his right mind will come to this city anymore if our officials will not do something to repair the damage they have done against their own city,” a tenant, who requested anonymity, said.
The dispute between Pelaez, head of the Mactan Island Chamber of Commerce Inc., and the Radaza administration began after the businessman accused city officials of corruption and failure to deliver basic services.
Peace
Pelaez has filed a graft complaint against Radaza before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas for the allegedly overpriced purchase of P23 million worth of computers for schools in the city.
Meanwhile, Police Regional Director Ronald Roderos said Pelaez’s request to relieve Superintendent Louie Oppus as chief of the Lapu-Lapu City police and Senior Inspector Conrado Manatad, police precinct chief, is difficult because of the election ban.
Oppus declined to comment when reached through his mobile phone. One of Pelaez’s lawyers wrote PNP Director General Avelino Razon Jr., accusing Oppus of making illegal arrests of their private security guards and supporters.
But a police official, who refused to be named, said all they did during implementation of the closure order and the demolition of the causeway was to ensure peace and order.
He said they never helped City Hall personnel in posting notices of closure on the 80 business establishments in the mall. (AIV/Sun.Star Cebu)(October 21, 2007 issue)
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