The City Legal Office will close down the Manokan Country in Barangay 10, Bacolod City, on Tuesday, July 16, Mayor Alfredo Abelardo “Albee” Benitez said at a press conference on Monday.
The Fr. Mauricio Ferrero Street fronting the Manokan Country has also been closed.
The 24 tenants at the Manokan Country will have to vacate the area since they have refused to transfer to the temporary site prepared for them at the SM City parking lot, Benitez said.
The Manokan Country closure on Tuesday is final, there will be no more extensions, Benitez said.
If the tenants want to discuss anything, we can talk after the closure, he said.
City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting Jr. said the police will assist the CLO in enforcing the closure. The electricity and water to the Manokan Country will also be disconnected Tuesday.
The Manokan Country site has been leased by the city government to SM Prime Holdings.
SM will build a new Manokan Country building at its current site and the 24 tenants would have had first option to occupy it when completed had they agreed to move to the temporary site.
Benitez said he was informed that the Manokan Country tenants have 61 employees.
If the 24 tenants refuse to transfer, the city government is willing to hire their displaced workers to run the temporary Manokan Country site, Benitez said.
Benitez said they are checking if the Manokan Country tenants’ contributions to the Social Security System and PhilHealth for their 61 employees is updated.
Failure to have paid such obligations is a criminal act, Benitez said.
If the Manokan Country tenants do not move to the new site, it will also be opened up to new tenants, Benitez said.
If they want to file a case against the city government they can go ahead and do it, he added.*