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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Luzon devider Demolition of old Bacolod City Hall questioned

Demolition of old Bacolod City Hall questioned

Published Nov 19, 2024 10:51 am

BACOLOD CITY – The reconstruction of the four-story old City Hall building here has sparked controversy after former Councilor Archie Baribar questioned the demolition of the  property.

 

OLD BACOLOD CITY HALL.jpeg

 

THE old Bacolod City Hall in the downtown area before it was demolished for reconstruction. (Glazyl Masculino)

He urged the City Council to probe the matter to address potential legal liabilities.

Baribar, who wrote the City Council as one of the intervenors in a case filed by the Luzuriaga family against the city government, expressed concern that the full demolition of the structure, instead of its reported refurbishment or rehabilitation, may prejudice the city’s rights over the property. 

A case was filed in 2009 seeking to cancel the property’s title and is still pending in court.

Baribar requested the City Council to hold a public hearing on the matter.

Mayor Albee Benitez said that based on the assessment of the City Legal Office, the project was cleared of all legal impediments.

Benitez said that the title has been clean under the name of the City of Bacolod since 1934.

“There are no indications or whatsoever that the city of Bacolod does not own the property,” he said.

Benitez said that the building had stood for decades, and if there have been complaints, it should have been done before.

“If their reason was that it was donated for the city, it is still the city of Bacolod that will be running it. Where is the violation there? There’s no violation there,” he said.

Benitez said that the only concern is the historical significance of the site but they were able to secure a clearance from the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP).

He said that the public hearing is up for the City Council to decide. “It is up to the City Council. Legally, we do not see any reasons for us to do otherwise.”

City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting Jr. said that the 3,200-square meter property was originally donated by Judge Jose de Luzuriaga to the provincial government of Negros Occidental and was purchased by the city government in 1932.

Ting said that the lot on which the structure stands was purchased by the city government and was not subject to conditions that it be used exclusively for that purpose.

Benitez said that the reconstruction of the building for P223 million will continue amid the issues raised on the project and maintained that the city did not commit any violation.

The city will build an iconic and modern Bacolod City Hall on Luzuriaga-Araneta Streets in Barangay 13 here.

The project funded by the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) as part of the city’s P4.4-billion loan is targeted to be completed within 18 months.

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