Conversion of Caloocan market to courthouse illegal, says solon

Caloocan City Rep. Edgar Erice yesterday threatened to throw the book and sue the city government over the planned conversion of a public market, or at least the second and third of its four floors, into a courthouse, something which the solon said was not in the original plan and in violation of the agreements it entered into with the lending institutions that financed the project.

"I will oppose this vehemently and file the appropriate cases in court. This is illegal. We have contracts signed with the lending institutions. They cannot do this," Erice said, adding he will urge the people to conduct mass actions against the proposal.

City Mayor Reynaldo Malonzo, for his part, stood unfazed by the congressman’s threat.

"I will face any suit. I am determined to give the judges and the fiscals presentable and comfortable offices for the people’s benefit. I am pro-people and I can go to jail for them," Malonzo said.

Erice insisted the city government was missing the point.

"They do not see that they will be violating the underwriting agreement (with the Philippine National Bank), the guarantee agreement (with the Local Government Unit Guarantee Corp.) and the agreement with investor Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. Capital. These institutions agreed to finance the project (about P200 million) based on the original studies made and on the agreed original plan. The building was intended to be a public market and not a courthouse," Erice pointed out.

The lawmaker alleged that the issue of providing offices for judges was just a smoke-screen to cover up the plan to fully privatize the market and dislocate the original stall holders.

The building in question is a four-storey commercial building intended to be a wet and dry public market and stands on property where the old Poblacion market along 10th Avenue once stood. The stall holders of the old market were relocated to a covered basketball court across the street, now dubbed the "Caloocan City Plaza II." They were assured by the city government they would get their stalls back inside the new one when it was finished. The new market is now ready for occupancy.

In a proposed resolution, Councilor Benedicto Gonzales Jr. urged Malonzo to convert the second and third floors of the new market building into a hall of justice to house the court judges, prosecutors and the public lawyers.

The local judiciary, including the prosecutors and public attorneys, are holding office in rented spaces (at P10-million a year shouldered by the city government) at the Aurelio, Genato and Victoria buildings along Rizal Avenue Extension near the Bonifacio Monument Circle.