TENSION gripped the Nazareth Lawn Tennis Court when the barangay tried to take over the tennis court to demolish it.
Lawyer Tibs Palasan, board of director of the tennis court organization said demolishing the tennis courts will be illegal since the property is not owned by the barangay, but the city government.
He added that, the funds used to build the courts are not public funds.
A meeting was called last week where they agreed that the barangay will hold the demolition, given the tennis court will be temporarily closed.
Antonio Resma Jr., of the City Legal Office said a meeting will be held this week at the City Hall in an attempt to achieve a win-win resolution.
"We also understand the point of the barangay that it is exercising the general administration of the property because of course, it is within their jurisdiction," he said.
The barangay, under the leadership of Nazareth barangay chair Jonjon Rodriguez, wants to demolish the tennis courts to build a new barangay hall.
Rodriguez, in an earlier interview, explained that the plannec barangay hall will only occupy two of the three tennis courts in the area.
He also said the tennis court has been "illegally occupying" about 3,000 square meters of the 7,500-square-meter total area, which is part of the barangay plaza. He said the tennis court is also operating without a barangay permit.
Rodriguez said the four-storey barangay hall will house a daycare center and a violence against women and children office.
Palasan meanwhile argued that, since the property is owned by the city, only the city government can control, manage, and administer the use of this property.
"The barangay cannot just destroy these courts, granting that it is authorized by the city, without reimbursing the tennis club for its expenses in the construction, the club being builder in good faith," he said.
Palasan also denied allegations of Rodriguez that the tennis court has become a venue of illegal gambling.
"I have been telling the barangay chairman, then and now, to arrest these illegal gamblers. I challenged them since 2000 and until now and yet they have not made such arrest," he added.