Forbes Park threatens to sue council

Residents of Forbes Park in Makati City threatened to sue the city council if it passes the proposed ordinance commercializing McKinley Road.

Policarpio Ascalon, governor of the Forbes Park Homeowners Association, told a press conference yesterday that their suit will be based on the lack of due process.

According to Manny Dizon, former FPHA president, the lack of time given the public to study the ordinance violates the constitutional rights of the residents by depriving them of due process.

"Makati City had two years within which to study the proposed rezoning of lots along McKinley Road. Yet, it is only now that it is requiring feedback from the sectors concerned," Dizon said. "Two years versus two weeks, is this not a violation of the principle of consultation enshrined in a democracy such as ours?," he asked.

The FPHA has hired a team of lawyers led by former Senator Rene Saguisag which is preparing the suit to be filed once the ordinance is passed. Federico Borromeo, president of the FPHA also noted that the conversion of the 1.6 kilometer McKinley Road into a commercial area violates the Vienna Conventions on Diplomatic Relations to which the Philippines is a signatory. --