Lawyers protest Caloocan's takeover of Gotesco mall

MANILA, Philippines - Lawyers representing Gotesco Investments Inc. (GII), owners of the Gotesco Grand Central Mall Complex in Caloocan City, are protesting the city government’s attempts to take over the mall.

The protest was staged on the last day Caloocan Regional Trial Court Judge Oscar Barrientos granted the city of Caloocan a writ of possession on the mall properties. A court-appointed sheriff, Nicolas Ramos posted last Monday a notice for GII to vacate the mall by yesterday.

The GII is contesting the takeover, which stemmed from a case filed by the city government against the GII for not paying P722 million in realty taxes from 1983 to 2006. The GII has filed an appeal before the Court of Appeals.

Lawyers Argee Guevarra and Trixie Angeles held a press conference at the mall, surrounding themselves with security personnel in black bulletproof vests.

Guevarra said that a month ago, a city hall official received a huge amount of cash from a Gotesco official at a mall elevator “for election purposes.” He refused to name names, saying he will reveal everything at the right time.

Angeles called the takeover “illegal and anomalous,” saying Barrientos should have respected Manila RTC Judge Cicero Jurado’s decision to grant an injunction on the takeover. Jurado’s ruling preceded that of Barrientos.

Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri said the GII lawyers were barking up the wrong tree.

“It was the court that decided it. They should question the court order and not malign us in the media. If we are wrong (in the tax delinquency assessment), they should have questioned it,” he said.

As for the allegations of corruption, Echiverri dared Guevarra to “prove it,” and name names. He denied asking anyone for campaign money.

“If I find anything libelous in what they said, I will file the necessary legal action.”

The GII lawyers advised the mall’s tenants to “defend their livelihood from the predatory attacks of the city hall,” but Echiverri assured the tenants that they can still continue doing business, and the only change they will see is the mall’s ownership.