BAGUIO CITY – Owners of the Cooyeesan Hotel Plaza assured members of the local legislative body that it will no longer push through with the earlier reported ejectment of the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) Station No. 1 located along Naguilian road.
Lawyer Joneva L. Pastor Quadra, who represented the owners of the mall, informed local legislators the structure of BCPO Station No. 1 will remain in the area where it is currently erected pursuant to the decision of the management not to pursue the earlier decision to eject the police station for the put up of added business establishments in the area.
Earlier, Cooyeesan management allowed the construction of the BCPO Station No. 1 building within a portion of its property and part of the road-right-of-way of Naguilian road to provide convenience to the people seeking assistance from the law enforcers.
Because of the information from the lawyer of the mall owners that the management has no plans of pursuing the ejectment of the police station, local legislators requested her to bring to the attention of her principals the need for them to execute a deed of usufruct between the local government and the management for the use of the area purposely for BCPO Station No. 1.
Further, the management was also requested to free the parking area fronting the police station so that it could be utilized by the police personnel as parking area for its service vehicles and clients.
The council also sought that a draft copy of the proposed deed of usufruct between the local government and the management be submitted to it for possible review and approval which the lawyer committed to do by December 17, 2018.
Quadra assured the local legislators she will bring to the attention of her principals the various requests of local legislators for their approval before bringing the matter back to the local legislative body for appropriate action.
Also pending before the local legislative body is the request of Cooyeesan Hotel Plaza for the conduct of its information and technology (IT) business to help generate added employment opportunities for qualified local residents, among other major economic benefits.
However, local legislators agreed to defer action on the matter pending the submission of the draft deed of usufruct between the two parties which was committed by the lawyer of management for possible review and consideration.
When the mall management informed the city of the ejectment of the current police, the city appropriated P4 million for the construction of a replacement building for BCPO Station 1 and coordinated with the Department of Public works and Highways (DPWH) Baguio city District Engineering Office for the use of a portion of the road-right-of-way of Naguilian road for the said structure.
Local legislators expressed their gratitude to the mall management for its change of heart in ensuring better police visibility in the said area.
By Dexter A. See
