Can Bautista finally eject Jadewell?

BAGUIO CITY — Baguio City Acting Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. finally kicked out the controversial private parking firm Jadewell out of the city because it has no more legs (legal ground that is) to stand on.

Telling city police director Senior Superintendent Moises Guevarra to drive the final nail to the six-year old "struggle" of Baguio City residents against Jadewell, the acting mayor five days ago on Nov. 28 directed the city police to implement the repeal of the ordinance to the local pay parking law here virtually ordering law enforcers to drive them out.

Bautista in his memorandum to Guevarra also cited that the 60-day notice for Jadewell to stop operating after a City Council rescission of the memorandum of agreement has lapsed on Nov. 21 aside from a unanimous decision by the City Council to junk the pay parking ordinance because of violations by Jadewell.

"(I) honestly believe in all good faith that with the lapse of the 60-day period (on Nov. 21, 2006) and the repeal of Ordinance Number 003, Series of 2006, Jadewell’s business operations have no more legs to stand on," Bautista Jr. said.

But it is not over till it’s over, because until now, the defiant Jadewell has not been driven out.

In fact, before the memorandum by Bautista Jr. was officially out, employees of Jadewell were distributing to motorists flyers that reiterated their defiance to city officials.

"Hukuman, hindi sa lansangan," said their flyers which underscored Jadewell president Rogelio Tan’s declaration to journalists that only the courts can drive them out and not even the City Council and a few noisy mob in the streets.

Guevarra too has not acted on Bautista Jr.’s memorandum until Sunday, four days after receiving the latter’s memorandum.

But he said he will have to consult the Cordillera police legal officer in Camp Dangwa, La Trinidad, Benguet including Cordillera police director Chief Superintendent Raul Gonzales.

"By Monday, we will talk with the city legal officer on what specific action they want us to do," Guevarra said.

"We want to know what the city wants the police to have," he said, as he admitted that he too, is facing difficulties on the problem that the contract of Jadewell with the city has not been rescinded by the court, although the City Council has junked it.

Star sources claim that what is making difficult for the police to implement Bautista Jr.’s memorandum is that the orders are murky and not as crystal clear as an order to drive Jadewell away.

The last paragraph of Bautista Jr.’s memo said: Accordingly, I urge the Baguio City police, thru its officer-in-charge, to take appropriate steps on this matter." It did not specify anything, in fact it handed out a "discretionary" attitude.