Council bars Citi Center demolition

The City Council yesterday passed an ordinance stopping the demolition of the City Center in barangay Kamagayan.

The passage of the ordinance on final reading was unopposed even by councilors Jose Daluz III and Edgar Labella, allies of mayor Michael Rama in the city council, in attendance.

Mayor Rama who was on an official travel to Bohol province yesterday was not available for comment. But he said in an earlier interview that the moratorium was an encroachment of his executive function.

The City Council called for a public hearing last week to consult Kamagayan barangay Captain Celestino “Tony” Avila and Citi center residents on Mayor Rama’s plan to already clear the area of illegal occupants.

Rama wanted the Citi center lot used for the construction of an urban poor condominium and housing site especially for City Hall employees..

“The imposition of the moratorium will allow the city to conduct adequate consultations with the affected families,” Dizon said.

The Citi Center used to be a private wet market. It was seized by the City Hall over none payment of taxes.

Dizon also mentioned of recommendation which councilor Daluz raised during the public hearing on the creation of a task force that will conduct a through study of the city’s development plan on the 7, 000 sq. meter Citi Center Complex.

The ordinance includes penalties for violations, saying: “any person or entity that violates this ordinance shall be subjected to administrative, civil and criminal liabilities provided by Section 45, Article XIII of RA 7279 without prejudice to other penalties provided by of law.”

The ordinance also mandates the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor to comply with Section 28 of RA 7279 specifically on the requirements of providing adequate relocation to the qualified informal settlers./Correspondent Edison Delos Angeles