Property owner wants Pasig store padlocked

A real estate company controlled by the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG) wants a giant furniture and home furnishing warehouse-mall standing on a big portion of their 18.3-hectare property in Pasig City padlocked for occupying their land for four years without properly compensating the government.

Ernesto Jalandoni, president and chief executive officer of the Independent Realty Corp. (IRC), said the Pasig City government should effect the closure of the MC Home Depot, which allegedly illegally occupies 1.7 hectares of their 18.3 million "Payanig sa Pasig" land in the Ortigas Center business district, after a Pasig City court lifted an injunction order it issued on the closure of the establishment.

He cited a May 19 resolution issued by Pasig Judge Alfredo Flores, who found merit in the IRC/PCGG opposition to the move of Rockland Construction Co. Inc., the supposed entity leasing the property from the IRC and sub-leasing it to MC Home Depot, to have the Pasig City government issue them business permits and licenses allowing them to continue operating their business in the area.

The decision dismissed the petition of Rockland and MC Home Depot to have the court order of the city government to issue them a business permit, effectively lifting the injunction order on the closure of the furniture warehouse-mall.

Jalandoni said Rockland and MC Home Depot resorted to filing the case with the court after the city government rightly refused to issue them business permits in the face of the failure to present a lease contract with the owner of the property they were occupying, which is a requirement of the city as provided by city ordinances.

Jalandoni urged outgoing Mayor Soledad Eusebio, who will be replaced by her husband Vicente next month, to act on the decision of Flores and effect the immediate closure of MC Home Depot.

Jalandoni said such a move would help the IRC and the PCGG in their attempt to collect some P75 million portion of the "Payanig sa Pasig" land for four years.

"They should help us. We are also from the government," Jalandoni told The STAR.