MORE NEWS, TARLAC

Court denies petition to halt SM mall construction
By Mar T. Supnad

TARLAC CITY — Supporters of Tarlac City Mayor Genaro Mendoza lauded Tuesday a court resolution denying a petition seeking to stop the construction of an SM mall in this city.

Earlier, Regional Trial Court Branch 65 Executive Judge Domingo San Jose Jr. rejected a petition for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) that would have stopped the construction of a giant SM mall in this city.

The petition for TRO was filed by media practitioner Joy Franklin Gonzales.

The resolution was based on the results of a summary hearing conducted on April 20, 2009 with Gonzales, the petitioner, testifying in court.

Gonzales admitted that he is a provincial government employee in the Media Affairs Office and is receiving P20,000 monthly salary as a media consultant of Gov. Vic Yap.

He said although he is a provincial government employee, his move was without the knowledge of his boss, the governor, or the sangguniang panlalawigan.

The SP has been vocal about its opposition to the ongoing construction of the SM City-Tarlac mall in Barangay San Roque.

It had passed a resolution declaring Tarlac City Resolution No. 151-08 and City Ordinance No. 008-08 as invalid.

Provincial Resolution No. 004-2009 stated that both city documents were “invalid, inoperative, and as having no force and effect for having been passed in violation of pertinent rules and law and in excess of its power and authority.”

Tarlac City Resolution No. 151-08 authorizes the issuance of a development permit to Prime Holdings, Inc. and Jesus Cano Chua for the construction and development of SM City in Tarlac, while City Ordinance No. 008-08 upgrades the land use classification of the area into a high-density, commercial zone.