Baguio’s pay parking finally ditched

3 MIN READ

BAGUIO CITY (Nov. 7) — Baguio’s very controversial six-year old private pay parking ordinance was finally ditched on Monday afternoon after the city council voted to repeal the local law allowing a private firm to levy parking fees on most streets in the Central Business District here.

In a historic 9-2 vote favoring the repeal of City Ordinance 003-2000, the 14-member city council in its third and final reading repealed through a legislation, not through a people’s initiative, the traffic ordinance.

“We just cut the root (of the problem) and certainly the branches will follow,” claimed Councilor Rocky Thomas Balisong, one of the proponents of the repeal ordinance and one of those who voted to shoo the private pay parking firm away from the city.

Nine of the 14-member city council junked the traffic ordinance on third and final reading. Councilors Perlita Rondez, Galo Weygan, Jose Molintas, Rufino Panagan, Leonardo Bayan, Jr., Faustino Olowan, Edilberto Tenefrancia, Rocky Thomas Balisong, and Antonio Tabora, Jr. voted for the repeal of the traffic ordinance; Councilors Federico Mandapat, Jr. and Elmer Datuin abstained while Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia inhibited from voting. Councilor Daniel Fariñas, was absent during the deliberations.

After the session, Tongtongan ti Umili, the Cordillera People’s Alliance chapter for Metro-Baguio, availed of the Citizen’s Forum to thank the council for reprealing the traffic ordinance.

Mia Rasalan, TTU-CPA spokesperson read the group’s statement saying “Our honorable leaders who stood with the people against the oppressive and exploitative operation of Jadewell should be commended.”

TTU-CPA said the legal move to charge city officials with contempt of court and disbarment of lawyer-councilors is another legal maneuver by Jadewell to silence and cripple the opposition within the local government.

“We thank the city council for the repeal,” businesswoman Nelia Cid, an alleged victim of Jadewell’s “illegal” towing, as she went out of the city council session hall with other anti-Jadewell advocates after the historic vote.

Cid led other Baguio residents in mustering at least 53,000 signatures against Jadewell’s operation and had submitted the required 1,000 signatures to the city council that asked for the repeal of the ordinance.

Mayor-elect Braulio Yaranon who got suspended by Malacañang upon complaints of Jadewell for oppression and abuse of authority on his orders against them said, “Finally the people of Baguio through the anti-Jadewell groups are vindicated.” He claimed that without the lobby of these groups, “the city council would not have lifted a finger”.

The ordinance and the controversial contract allowed Jadewell to conduct its business along city streets, which according to Mayor Braulio D. Yaranon, a retired RTC judge, is illegal because “streets are beyond the commerce of man”.

Molintas, a veteran lawyer and head of the city council human rights, justice, peace and order and safety committee said Jadewell has lost a legal leg to stand on. Without the ordinance, it has less to stand on as far as the city is concerned, he claimed.

Balisong, also a lawyer, said the contract between the city and Jadewell would also be rescinded soon, although the councilors have differing views on how to go about it. “We have already served a notice of rescission. On November 22, they should stop operating,” he said.

A 60-day notice of rescission served earlier by the City Legal Office ends on November 22, also a day of reckoning as claimed by anti-Jadewell residents here as they plan to “force” the firm out from their offices at Ganza parking area here.

With these developments however, Mrs. Norma Tan, Jadewell’s resident manager, refuses to offer any comment as she is obviously holding her horses. She reiterated that there are pending cases with the courts displaying the firm’s savvy on filing charges even against councilors who had stood by the parking firm.

Earlier, Jadewell filed contempt charges against most of the 14-member city council including Acting Mayor Reinaldo Bautista and City Legal Officer Melchor Rabanes for issuing the notice of rescission. Jadewell claims the matter is being heard in the court that is why such actions are contemptuous of the courts.

Worse, all the 10 lawyers in the city council including Rabanes are being indicted by Jadewell for disbarment on the same actions on rescission, but the councilors said this would not cow them into submission.

Unwanted persons

Some of the councilors have other swords to unleash against the private parking firm.

Balisong and Panagan had proposed that city council declare the spouses Rogelio Tan, president, and Norma as “persona-non-grata” for their arrogance and unprofessional conduct. In several instances “insulting” the city council in its invitations for appearance to thresh out issues as well as other alleged “terror” on the streets victimizing motorists and residents. In the past, former councilors Richard Cariño and Elmo Nevada sponsored a similar resolution in 2003 but was lost in the voting.

Rasalan said, Jadewell controls not only the city streets but also arrogantly yields power over the city’s governance.

The Tans also refused to comment on the “persona non grata” raps, but Mrs. Tan during a meeting with Councilor Molintas had been blaming dirty politicking for the mess they are into. “We have no one to blame but politicians,” Mr. Tan said. # Ace Alegre for NORDIS