BAGUIO
CITY -- Tension is gripping lessees of Camp John Hay here after the Bases
Conversion and Development Authority unilaterally revoked its lease contract
with private developer Camp John Hay Development Corp. a few days ago.
The
BCDA has also ordered CJHDevCo to vacate the former American military rest and
recreation center and pay its outstanding obligations amounting to P3.077
billion.
The
BCDA, while addressing legal issues, is set to take over a 247-hectare portion
of the former American rest and recreation base that it had leased to private
developer CJHDevCo.
BCDA
chief Arnel Casanova said they are ready for a legal war. “I’m ready to face
charges, it comes with the job,” he said.
Meanwhile,
Alfredo Yñiguez, chief executive officer of CJHDevCo, said they would file
charges against Casanova for making “false representations to both the
authorities involved and to the press about the real facts on the developments
in Camp John Hay.”
This, as the security
agency tasked to protect government property in Camp John Hay tagged as
“outrageous, alarmist and totally baseless” the statement of the security
agency of CJHDevCo that the BCDA has issued a “shoot to kill” order.
Placido Urbanes III,
president of the Catalina Security Agency, said there was no such “shoot to
kill” order from the BCDA,” as alleged by CJHDevCo’sWarbird Security and
Investigation Agency.
“We were hired by the
government to help protect personnel, property and facilities in Camp John
Hay,” Urbanes said.
Catalina deploys
security personnel to protect 625.4 hectares of government property in Camp
John Hay, including the 301.9-hectare John Hay Special Economic Zone and the
323.5-hectare forest reservation area.
Tension has risen
after the BCDA terminated its contract with CJHDevCo.
An officer of the
security agency tapped by CJHDevCo to guard the contested facilities bared an
alleged plan of the BCDA and its subsidiary, John Hay Management Corp. to use
force in effecting the takeover despite pending legal issues.
Albert Escalderon,
chief of Warbird Security Agency, earlier said they have gathered reliable
information about the supposed plan of BCDA and JHMC “to forcibly take over the
entire leased premises.”
“Our main concern is
that your security guards posted within the John Hay premises were ordered to
shoot anybody who would stand in the way during the forcible takeover by BCDA
and JHMC,” Escalderon said in a letter to PlacidoUrbanes III, general manager
of the Catalina Security Agency hired by the government agency.
But
Catalina chief said: “In fact, it is CJHDevco and its security agency that are
clearly violating regulations. They have violated the anti-squatting law when
they put up illegal structures on BCDA’s property.”
“We
will take the necessary legal steps to make sure those who issued the
irresponsible statement are made accountable for the deception they have been
spreading,” Urbanes said.
CJHDevco
reportedly started issuing “alarmist” statements after BCDA terminated the
contract with CJHDevco. BCDA has also ordered CJHDevco to vacate
John Hay and pay its outstanding obligations amounting to P3.077 billion.
The
termination notice states that “CJHDevco has material and incurable
breaches, including failure and refusal to pay the annual rent due to
government for many years; failure to open an escrow account and deposit
50% of the Common Usage Services Assessment; fraudulent double-sale of a
property given as payment to BCDA; violation of fire and safety laws in the
Camp John Hay Suites; unlawful squatting of CJHDevco’s security agency;
subcontracting of the water operations and distribution without BCDA’s consent;
violations on safety, health and environmental regulations; and CJHDevco’s
gross misrepresentation of its financial standing.”
Escalderon’s
letter to Urbanes informed the latter of the writ of preliminary injunction
issued by Judge CletoVillacorta III while reportedly ignoring the fact that the
Baguio Regional Trial Court required CJHDevco to post a P736 million bond for
the injunction to take effect.
Earlier
statements by observers said that CJHDevco’s posting of the bond betray the
fact that CJHDevco had money to pay for its obligations to government, that has
now ballooned to more than P3 billion. – Alfred Dizon
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