Mayor: No backing up SM Skyranch, just stating facts

By Aileen P. Refuerzo

BAGUIO CITY – Mayor Mauricio Domogan said he was not out to lawyer for the SM City Baguio Sky Ranch Amusement Park project as some quarters have claimed when he said that public consultation is not anymore needed for the project.

He said he only spoke the truth as the project which has been issued an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) is understood to have been subjected to ample public consultations being the main requirement before an ECC can be released by the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources.  

“Much as I want to approve City Council Resolution calling for a consultation, I don’t have the legal basis to do so because foremost it is a private property and the company has complied with all the permit requirements including the social acceptability as evidenced by the ECC,” the mayor said.

“Public consultation and endorsement from the City Council are not needed before a permit can be issued so long as they had complied with all the permit requirements including the ECC.  I hope the city council will understand that that is why I did not sign the resolution lest we be misunderstood that by imposing these additional requirements to the company, we are singling it out or worse, be suspected that we are indirectly asking for something from it,” the mayor said.

 The mayor earlier returned unsigned Resolution No. 303, series of 2018 urging SM City Baguio and Sky Ranch Amusement Park Baguio to conduct public consultations as to the social acceptability of their amusement park and recreation facility project and to seek favorable endorsement from the Sangguniang Panlungsod in compliance with the provisions of the Local Government Code and other pertinent laws.

 “I hope residents will also understand my point and will not be swayed by some camps that use this as a political issue to discredit me,” the mayor appealed.

The city council, after deliberating on the project based on discussions with the SM representatives and city offices concerns, decided to require SM to conduct of a public consultation and to seek the endorsement of the city council before starting the project.