BACOLOD City – Vendors at Manokan Country, located in the Reclamation Area of Barangay 12, are standing firm against eviction, demanding a court order before any demolition takes place, despite notices from Bacolod City Government.
During a press conference on July 2, tenant spokesperson Tess Ombao-Mondres declared, “No court order, no demolition.”
The city government, having leased the Manokan land to SM Prime Holdings Inc. (SPHI) for redevelopment, issued vendors thereat a notice to vacate on June 3, 2024, and a subsequent notice on June 14, offering to relocate the vendors to a temporary site provided by SPHI.
The proposed relocation site is the parking lot of SM City Malls, across from the current Manokan Country, where vendors can stay rent-free for 18 months.
However, the uncertainty post-18 months is a significant concern for the vendors.
Mondres expressed apprehensions about future rental costs and the size of the allotted space, citing the lack of a formal agreement with SPHI as a major issue.
She emphasized the vendors’ preference for a city-managed relocation site, ideally behind the Bacolod City Government Center, as proposed to Mayor Alfredo Abelardo Benitez.
City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting Jr. clarified that the demand for a court order is typically applicable only to private properties, not government-owned lands.
He reassured that no demolition is planned immediately after the deadline on July 5 but confirmed the closure of the leased area, including Manokan Country.
Legal representatives for the vendors, Jose Max Ortiz and Brick Reyes, announced plans to challenge the legality of the city government’s lease agreement with SPHI and to file complaints of alleged graft and corruption against city officials involved in the lease. The complaints are to be lodged with the Office of the Ombudsman./PN
