BAGUIO CITY – The City Council approved the recommendation of the Committee on Urban Planning, Lands and Housing for the city government to recall and revoke all the permit issued by the concerned offices to the developer of Suntrust 88 condominium project along Gibraltar Road considering the eminent danger to life, environment and peace in the community posed by the ongoing works.
The local legislative body also recommended that the private contractor, G.A. Flores, be investigated by the Department of Public Works and Highways–Baguio City District Engineering Office (DPWH-BCDEO) for the destroyed drainage and road due to a collapse of portions of the project for which no remedial measures were
undertaken by the contractor to protect the public property until the situation worsened.
The committee also recommended the conduct of an investigation by the Ombudsman and other agencies of government on the City Engineering office and the City Buildings and Architecture Office personnel who reportedly issued the building permits and have been allegedly negligent in performing their duties and functions, particularly in monitoring the construction and imposing measures to curtail the destruction caused by the project in the area.
The local legislative body discovered that the sewer pipe owned by Ebay’s Zion Hotel and the private sanitary pipes coming from the Mines View Park stalls laid along the pavement above the Suntrust properties were damaged by the contractor of the drainage improvement project being implemented by the DPWH-BCDEO, referring to G.A. Flores Inc.
Further, the saturation and septage of sewage water from the alleged faulty drainage, without collars and proper beddings, contributed to the collapse in the retaining wall aside from the fact the Suntrust 88 condominium project of Mega World has caused the alleged collapse of its wall for the nth time and was rebuilt 5 or more times, endangering not only the lives and properties of the adjoining community, but contributed to the destruction of a portion of Gibraltar Road fronting the said property.
The local legislative body uncovered that the original construction permit issued by CBAO was for 6 stories which was issued prior to the enactment of the new zoning resolution which needs an assessment and the conduct of soil test to ascertain the stability of the area.
While SunTrust 88 Mega World Corporation was able to obtain an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), the committee noted the number of trees that was felled for the project was atrocious and its projected 400 units would not have adequate sources of water as even the residents of Gibraltar will eventually suffer from lack of water.
The committee claimed that a 400-unit condominium will require at least 400 parking spaces and the absence of parking slots would cause more vehicles competing for street space in the already crowded Mines View area.
The local legislative body asserted that the DPWH-BCDEO and its contractor is not free from fault for the collapsed portion of the road as it should have taken the necessary steps to protect the drainage and the road and not to have waited for the situation to worsen.
The local legislative body asserted that public welfare matters were allegedly neglected by the concerned government agencies and some local government offices on the said issue./Dexter A. See
