DOJ dismisses Monico’s appeal
ON LEGALITY OF
NEW REVENUE CODE
BY CHRYSEE SAMILLANO

The Department of Justice has dismissed the appeal filed by former Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella questioning the legality of the New Revenue Code of Bacolod City, saying that it was not perfected.

The appeal filed by Rolling Hills Memorial Park Inc. represented by Puentevella, asked that City Ordinance 565, Series of 2011, or an “Ordinance approving the Revised Local Revenue Code of Bacolod,” be declared illegal and of no force and legal effect on January 26, 2012.

Justice Secretary Leila De Lima, in her letter to Puentevella dated Jan. 27, said that before the Department can act on the appeal, it should show that the procedure governing appeals is complied with pursuant to Department Circular 21 dated July 15, 1992, specifically Sections 3 and 4. Otherwise, the appeal is not perfected.

The Court of Appeals has dismissed a petition for certiorari filed by SM Prime Holdings Inc. against a Bacolod Regional Trial Court judge for denying a temporary restraining order sought against the Negros Occidental provincial government on the sale and lease of its 7.7-hectare property in Bacolod City to Ayala Land.

In its decision promulgated February 16, the CA also denied SMPHI’s motion for reconsideration to its resolution on Sept. 6, 2011 denying its application for a writ of preliminary injunction against the provincial government.

Bacolod RTC Judge Estefanio Libutan Jr., on July 14, 2011, had denied the petition of SMPHI for a TRO and or writ of preliminary injunction against Alfredo Marañon Jr. in his capacity as governor of Negros Occidental, and the members of the provincial government’s Committee on Awards and Disposal of Real Properties.

The Mines and Geosciences Bureau yesterday recommended the permanent relocation of about 200 households living at the foot of a mountain in Barangay Maytubig, Isabela town, Negros Occidental, who are in danger of being buried by a landslide.

Dr. Leilanie Suerte, MGB 6 geologist, who led an MGB team with local disaster workers in inspecting the area yesterday, told the DAILY STAR they found a lot of loose boulders, some as big as trucks, on the mountain above the area where about 200 households or close to 2,000 residents live.

They are verifying the exact figure of residents in the area, she said.