Exec says MMDA owes Quezon City P6.2-million back rentals

MANILA, Philippines - The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) owes the Quezon City government a total of P6.2 million in back rentals for continuously occupying a city-owned lot despite the expiration of the agreement between the two parties after 25 years, according to a city official.

In a report to Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. during a recent regular executive staff meeting, City General Services Office (CGSO) chief Rolando Montiel said the MMDA is supposed to pay the city government P200,000 each month for a 4,232-square meter lot that the city government procured from the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) in 1961.

The city government bought the GSIS’ 53,418-sqm property on Scout Reyes, Barangay Paligsahan, including the part occupied by the MMDA, under Board Resolution 1439 dated July 30, 1961, at the price of P25 per sqm.

The lot, Montiel said, was intended for school site purposes. However, it is occupied by the Amoranto Stadium (42,854 sqm), Manuel A. Roxas High School (6,332 sqm), and the MMDA 103 Base (4,232 sqm).

The MMDA 103 Base is presently using the QC property as site for its administration building, storage building, yard and fuel refilling station.

The payment of the monthly rental supposedly started from the time an agreement between the MMDA and city government ended in November 2006.

According to Montiel, since the expiration of the agreement, the city government has sent letters for the MMDA to turn over the property, but to no avail.

He said the city legal office then issued a demand letter, asking the MMDA to pay back rentals.

Montiel said the city government, through the CGSO, subsequently sent a letter signed by Belmonte requesting the MMDA to turn over the property on or before June 30.

MMDA Chairman Bayani Fernando, in his reply, requested joint usage of the property since the agency only operates in Quezon City to respond to disasters.

Officials said there have been a series of meetings to thresh out the technical aspects of joint utilization of the lot. – Katherine Adraneda