Suit vs realty firm withdrawn

The case filed against Crown Asia Properties, which would prevent them from developing a subdivision in Caloocan City, was withdrawn by the two opposing city council members.

Councilors Rizaldy Dolatre and Henry Camayo, who recently filed a petition barring Crown Asia from expanding the Villa Allegria project in Bagumbong, Caloocan, "waived their claims against" the realty firm.

Caloocan Regional Trial Court Branch 125 Judge Adoracion Angeles granted the motion to withdraw the councilors’ petition.

Cammayo, however, said that they will continue the administrative charges against the eight other city councilors who approved the resolution in favor of Crown Asia.

In a telephone interview, Cammayo claimed he simply could not afford shelling out money for legal services against the firm because the case has been dragging on for months now.

"Everytime Crown Asia files a motion for reconsideration, we have to pay our lawyers through the nose. Why should we be the only ones fighting against it?" he asked.

The withdrawal of the case marks the end of a six-month legal battle, which stemmed from allegations made by Dolatre and Cammayo that Crown Asia did not have the requirements to secure a development permit.

But city councilors Edgar Erice, Dennis Baldivia, Susana Punzalan, Benjamin Manlapig, Eduardo Rosea, Luis Varela, Isaac Domingo, and Benedicto Gonzales approved the measure granting Crown Asia the right to develop the site in Bagumbong.

Dolatre and Cammayo said Crown Asia violated Presidential Decree 957 because they were able to obtain a permit without a subdivision plan.

They added that the firm did not have an environmental compliance certificate and did not bother to pay a prescribed regulatory fee to the local government. – Matthew Estabillo