Pelayo hits CIAC mgmt on ‘unauthorized’ demolition

BY: Joel P. Mapiles


CLARK FREEPORT -- Candaba Mayor Jerry Pelayo claimed that heads should roll if the demolition of several buildings inside the aviation complex of the Clark International Airport Corporation (CIAC) was done in the absence of an approved resolution by the Board of Directors.

Pelayo said if proven that they acted outside of an approved resolution, concerned officials should be held accountable for bidding, demolishing and donating the buildings in question.

The Candaba mayor is referring to several buildings that his group had renovated for use as a one-stop shop for farmers to expand the Farm Fresh 25 project.

He said that in 2008, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo approved in principle Farm Fresh 25, which will utilize dilapidated buildings in the vicinity as a processing plant, kimchi factory, food exchange center, bagsakan for flowers, training centers and dormitories for farmers.

On September 17, 2008, the group of Pelayo wrote a letter to CIAC president Victor Luciano stipulating a request to lease and make use of the buildings and facilities for the said projects.

“We started doing these works, believing that our request has already been approved as he previously expressed to us in many occasions,” Pelayo said.

Pelayo and his group have since then started renovating the dilapidated buildings, spending over P1-million.

However, starting May 2009 and all throughout the year, Pelayo said he was surprised to find out that half of the buildings where Farm Fresh 25 is located were being demolished.

“It was sold to the same contractors that demolished the Farm Fresh 25 building, justifying that the scrap would be donated to the Aeta village,” Pelayo said.

Pelayo said the demolition contractor represented by one Josie Gomez called up his son Patrick for several times, offering P450,000 for the other building.

“My son said no and got really mad, saying that the building was intended for the use of the Food Hub Project,” Pelayo said.

This prompted Pelayo to call up Luciano to inform him of the incident and the previous demolition, but the latter allegedly told him that the building was intended as donation to the Aetas.
Another demolition took place July 2009, prompting Pelayo to report the incident to CDC President Benigno Ricafort and Chairman Nestor Mangio.