QC gov’t accused of closing Cloverleaf market to favor Ayala Land
The lawyer for Balintawak Cloverleaf Market Corporation (BCMC) has accused the Quezon City government of getting rid of them to give way for a P25-billion development project by Ayala Land.
“We would like to assure the honorable court that despite the issuance just in case of a TRO or a writ of preliminary injunction and there are reasonable requirements needed, the Balintawak Cloverleaf Market Corporation will be happy to comply,” Atty. Edcel Lagman, counsel for the corporation said.
“What we are all missing here is this, is there a hidden agenda on the part of the Quezon City government in trying to cause all of these requirements despite compliance,” Lagman said, pointing out the local government want them closed to accommodate a big businessman.
But Presiding Judge Marilou Runes-Tamang said such allegation is not the issue before the court.
READ: Court issues status quo order stopping closure of Cloverleaf market in QC
“In other words, your position here, Atty. Lagman, is that there is no violation on your end and the QC government is bent on closing it for all its worth just because they have to accommodate a big businessman, is that your position?” the judge asked.
“That would be the possibility,” Lagman said, but the counsel for the Quezon City government said the issue is the cease and desist order.
READ: 3 Balintawak markets shut down for sanitation, safety violations
“We should disabuse our minds on other things you presented—a case, all about the cease and desist order, valid or not? ‘Yun lang (That’s all),” Judge Runes-Tamang said.
During the hearing, Engr. Isagani Versoza of the City Engineer’s Office said the market has no building permit which is needed to have a certificate of occupancy.
Judge Runes-Tamang said the court will conduct an ocular inspection on the market on Thursday.
She has required officials from the Quezon City government’s engineering department and the city market administrator to be present during the inspection to answer her questions.
“This is part of the judicial process and to properly guide the court in resolving the incident,” she said.
On Monday, the Quezon City Regional Trial Court Branch 98 issued an order allowing, for the meantime, the Balintawak Cloverleaf Market to operate as it had before the closure order was issued by the Quezon City government. IDL
