Ever-Gotesco keeps mum on Malonzo’s closure threat

The management of Ever Gotesco Grand Central Mall in Caloocan City remained silent yesterday on Mayor Reynaldo Malonzo’s warning to close down the shopping center for its alleged failure to pay the city government hundreds of million of pesos in real property taxes.

Malonzo earlier warned that he would order the closure of the city’s main shopping mall unless its management paid its unsettled account that has accumulated for the past several years to around P200 million.

Malonzo said that the mall should have paid its tax obligations last Jan. 20 but failed to do so, prompting him to gave the Ever Gotesco another 30 days grace period that would lapse on Feb. 20.

Efforts to get the side of the mall management on the issue were futile as Ever Gotesco administration personnel refused to talk to The STAR yesterday.

Ever Gotesco administration office’s detailed guard Alberto Crisostomo, of the Brotherhood Security Agency, after checking with the mall officers, said that nobody in the office was willing to discuss the matter.

A counsel of Ever Gotesco, who requested anonymity, told The STAR in a telephone interview the other day that they are still verifying the facts of the case.

Meanwhile, Gotesco Jollibee store manager Cyndi de la Fuente appealed yesterday to Malonzo to reconsider his warning, claiming that closing it would greatly affect not only the Gotesco Mall, but also hundreds of employees.

"As far as the Jollibee is concerned, we are up do date with our financial obligations to the Gotesco Mall, so I hope Mayor Malonzo would look for other means," De la Fuente said. — Pete Laude