Court asked to stop City Hall construction works
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — A group of senior citizens has asked a regional trial court (RTC) to stop the ongoing construction inside the City Hall Complex in Barangay Guinobatan, citing aesthetical and legal grounds in opposing the project.
Lawyer Joel Jabal, who represents the group led by Imelda Dacillo, filed a special civil action before the RTC Branch 39, asking for a prohibition and/or injunction with prayer for issuance of temporary restraining order and preliminary mandatory injunction against the project.
In a 13-page petition, the group of Dacillo alleged that “the two courtyards are in fact enclosed public plazas which provide an alternate form of recreational space and allows natural light and cross ventilation where the petitioners read, drink coffee, juice water, exchange gossips and even play with their grandchildren.”
The petition further claims that the courtyards serve as a public space to stage meetings, presentation, public demonstration and even solemn ceremonies like awarding of recognition to deserving citizens and welcoming ceremonies for visiting dignitaries from other provinces and even from other countries.
“The destruction of the said inner courtyards is being done thru the construction of an unknown structure on the said spaces. Allegedly, those two courtyards shall be eliminated to give way to two-storey buildings which would be constructed on the site of the courtyards,” the petition said.
In the first week of June this year, the area of the courtyards inside the City Hall Complex main building was blocked from public view, apparently in preparation for construction. When the group of Dacillo asked around, they were not given a satisfactory answer. During their meeting on June 16, 2024, officers of the group agreed to initiate a judicial action against the construction.
Named respondents to the petition were City Engineer Benjamin Acedera, City Mayor Marilou Morillo and the contractors of the construction project.
The Sangguniang Panglungsod passed a resolution in 2019 declaring the City Hall as cultural and heritage site of the city and was endorsed to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.