Court issues 20-day TRO vs sale of Dagupan gov’t-owned property

DAGUPAN CITY, Philippiines – The regional trial court (RTC) here has issued a 20-day temporary restraining order (TRO) to Dagupan City Mayor Benjamin stopping him from proceeding with the controversial sale of the McAdore Hotel.

The city government under Lim bought the seven-story McAdore Hotel to be converted into a new city hall. The plan, however, never materialized.

Judge Emma Torio, acting presiding judge of RTC Branch 40 of the First Judicial Region here, issued the order after resolving to grant the urgent motion for reconsideration filed by city council secretary Ryan Ravanzo “in the higher interest of substantial justice.”

Torio has set a hearing on Jan. 3, 2013 on the issuance of a writ of preliminary injunction.

Ravanzo filed the petition for preliminary injunction to stop Lim from proceeding with the sale of McAdore Hotel and a city government-owned property in Calasiao town, as earlier authorized by the city council.

Lim earlier had called for a special session of the city council to get its nod to grant him authority to initiate the sale of McAdore Hotel and the Calasiao property while Vice Mayor Belen Fernandez, its presiding officer, was abroad on official business. 

Nine councilors approved the resolution, but Fernandez sought the legal opinion of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on the legality of the special session.

The DILG later ruled that the special session was illegal and that the resolution had no effect.