• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
In compliance with the decision rendered by the Supreme Court, the provincial government of Negros Occidental paid more than P11 million in damages to Sugarland Hotel in Bacolod City for the demolition of its fourth floor in 1994.
Provincial Administrator Atty. Rayfrando Diaz said Monday, Dec. 18, that the final decision was issued by the Supreme Court early this year.
Diaz, however, said it took time for the provincial government to process it, stressing that the budget for the payment needs the approval of the Provincial Development Council with the concurrence of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, once the money is available.
He added that the management of the Sugarland Hotel “convinced the Supreme Court that the Bacolod City government and provincial government of Negros Occidental were liable for damages on the fourth floor”.
Court records obtained by the media show that in May 1994, Panfilo Villaruel Jr., chief of the Air Transportation Office (now the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines) and assistant secretary of the Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) ordered the closure of the Bacolod City Domestic Airport citing the presence of the third and fourth floors of the Sugarland Hotel and informal settlers around the vicinity of the airport that he said were “obstructions to aerial navigation”.
Documents also showed that a memorandum of agreement was signed by representatives of ATO, Bacolod City government, the provincial government and the owner of the hotel. It was agreed that a re-survey of the height of the hotel will be undertaken and the owner will have it demolished but the city and provincial government will shoulder the cost of the demolished portion of the building.
The SC decision affirmed an earlier decision of the Court of Appeals on November 15, 2007 and resolution dated March 25, 2008 on the award of damages in favor of Sugarland Hotel. | GB
