Abandoned city hall site now a squatters haven
Now that it is already definite that the new Iloilo City Hall will be built in its present site across Plaza Libertad it is then certain that the millions worth of concrete piles driven at the first proposed city hall site in Brgy. San Pedro, Molo in 2001 will be put into oblivion.
Worse, the abandoned site is now occupied by hundreds of squatters allegedly sanctioned by former congressman, now Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez, Sr.
During the last term of former Mayor Mansueto Malabor he embarked on building a new City Hall to rise in the city government lot in Brgy. San Pedro, Molo.
Sometime in September 2000 the groundbreaking for the project was made with Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago as guest. Santiago earmarked 20 million as initial fund for the project.
The proposed city hall has a total cost of P250 million. It was supposed to be a three-story edifice with an area of 1,800 square meters.
Weeks after the project's groundbreaking, the contractor conducted pile driving on the site. Several concrete piles were put in the ground as initial stage of the project.
During that time, Councilor Perla Zulueta exposed that the concrete piles used were substandard.
Election came in May 2001 and eventually Mayor Malabor failed in his bid to become congressman. His erstwhile ally Jerry Treñas replaced him as city mayor.
Since Treñas's assumption to office in July 2001 he never continued the city hall project started by his predecessor.
Sometime in the middle of 2006 Treñas, who is on his way to a third term, for the first time brought the idea of building a new City Hall.
Unfortunately, he never intended to continue what Malabor has started. Treñas wanted to build the new city hall on a different site--that is, to build it on the site currently occupied by the present city hall.
The city hall Treñas wants to build is an eight-story edifice with a total cost of P350 million.
Reportedly, initial stages of construction will start this year 2007.
Meanwhile, the abandoned site is now occupied by squatters with the millions worth of concrete piles exposed to the elements and are deteriorating.
A male resident who spoke on condition of anonymity told The News Today that houses started to sprout in the area sometime in 2003. Most of the occupants are originally from Brgy. San Pedro while the others came from other barangays.
He said Sec. Gonzalez through Brgy. Captain Cyro Lapascua gave clearance for them to occupy the area. Lapascua is the barangay captain of Brgy. San Pedro and is a known supporter of Gonzalez.
Another occupant said that before they were allowed to occupy the area they were made to understand that they should give way once the city government already uses the place.
With persistent rumors that Senator Franklin Drilon would run for congressman in the city, one resident expressed fears that they could be removed from the place in the event the senator wins against Gonzalez.
The resident admitted that all of the occupants are Gonzalez supporters.
On the other hand, Treñas when reached for comment about the existence of squatters in the city government lot in Brgy. San Pedro, Molo said that they (squatters) were temporarily allowed to occupy the place as the city government has yet to use area.
Treñas said the squatters would be removed from the area once the city already needs it.
The mayor said that the area is a good venue for an information technology (IT) center in the future.