By Julius Mariveles and Cesar Jolito III
BACOLOD CITY, Negros Occidental, Philippines – Like inasal nga isaw (chicken intestines), the issues over iconic food spot Manokan Country has meandered through many controversies since last year – from stall owners refusing to pay millions of pesos in rental arrears to their bucking of transfer moves to temporary stalls and now to their outright opposition to the renovation of the eatery itself.
And as City Hall readies to evict them Friday, the vendors are digging in, clinging to their stalls like their signature yellow chicken oil on rice even as comments abound on social media that Manokan needs a facelift amid deteriorating service and sanitary conditions.
Today, as sitting Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez delivers his State of the City Address, lawyers of some renters are poised to go to court to challenge the project itself over some legal issues ranging from the existing lease contracts to possible graft charges against sitting officials.
As this developed, the city’s chief lawyer defended the renovation, the first private-public partnership initiated by Benitez, a billionaire businessman, while a city cluncilor allied with Benitez clled on tge public to accept change.
“Nothing personal but Mayor Albee is not a resident of Bacolod; he is from Victorias (City) and grew up in Manila,” lawyer Roger “Brick” Reyes told DNX on the sidelines of a presser yesterday with another lawyer, Jose Max or Jomax Ortiz, a former councilor and town mayor.
Reyes, a known blocktime broadcaster in the 80s who handled a radio show critical of the. President Ferdinand Marcos Sr, said lease contracts still exist between his clients and City Hall until 2027.
“The stallowners will stay unless the city can show a court by order,” Reyes told DNX about the letter sent by Ortiz to City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting Jr as he warned that Ting should “face the consequences” if he would insist on evicting the stall renters who are bucking their transfer to temporary stalls at the SM City parking lot pending the renovation of the popular eating spot.
Ortiz, on the other hand, said renters would also initiate the filing of complaints for violations of the country’s anti graft and corruption law stemming from the passage of a city ordinance and the partnership with the SM Prime Holdings firm in renovating the decades-old Manokan Coumtry where chicken barbecue was first sold to and eaten by a large number of people.
Meanwhile, Councilor Vladimir Gonzalez reacted to Reyes who said Benitez is not a native of the city.
“I do understand the sentiment of Lawyer Roger “Brick” Reyes. However, even if mayor Benitez is, and I quote Atty. Reyes, “not a native of Bacolod City,” it does not mean he is incompetent. Nor does it mean he is not mindful of the best interest of the Bacolodnon, “he said in a statement sent to DNX.
Gonzalez, however, who voted for the ordinance for the PPP arrangement for the Manokan Country, said:” The lease agreement between SM and Bacolod City will greatly improve Bacolod. A cleaner and more aesthetic Bacolod. A Bacolod pleasing for locals and tourists alike.”
He also said: “… Any fears to drastically change the culture of Bacolod is unfounded. They will be given the priority to lease with SM with the same rental rates. The Manokan concessionaires will still be able to make and sell the same iconic Bacolodnon cuisine. This time, in a better ambiance.
We should not be afraid of change. We should welcome change. Change is necessary if we want to have a better Bacolod. If the new project will improve the image of Bacolod, it will redound to the benefit of Bacolod and the Bacolodnons.
In all places that improved, change was welcomed for change was necessary.”
So let us embrace the change for a new and better Bacolod.”
