Camp Aguinaldo concessionaires move to stop building demolition

The Camp Aguinaldo Concessionaire’s Association Inc. (CACAI) has asked the Quezon City Regional Trial Court to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff and the camp commander from demolishing their stalls inside the camp.

In an 18-page petition for temporary restraining order, CACAI asked the court to order the defendants, AFP chief of staff Gen. Narciso Abaya and Camp Aguinaldo Commander Commodore Tirso Danga, to indemnify its members in the amount of P75,000 each in damages aside from litigation fees.

The stall owners’ complaint stemmed from Danga’s order in March 2003 to tear down the building presently occupied by CACAI members.

The plaintiffs, led by CACAI president Manuel Prado, said Danga’s directive was contrary to the latter’s statement during a meeting with the concessionaires in Jan. 2003 that their stalls would not be demolished despite the construction of a new building for concessionaires.

CACAI said their members spent thousands of pesos for the improvement of their stalls after they were assured by Danga that there would be no demolition.

Most of the plaintiffs started their businesses in Camp Aguinaldo in 1973 when former AFP chief of staff Gen. Romeo Espina invited them to provide services such as restaurants, canteens, tailoring shops, barber shops, variety stores and other forms of service to military personnel and their families and employees of Camp Aguinaldo.

They said Danga did not mention any form of compensation to the concessionaires who opposed the transfer to the new building.