BACOLOD City – The City Legal Office (CLO) confirmed that the ongoing construction of the Bacolod City Hall (old city hall) will continue despite the pending civil case at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) – Branch 50.
City Legal Officer Romeo Carlos Ting Jr. said there is no temporary restraining order to stop the construction.
The P223-million construction of the four-storey building located on corner Luzuriaga-Araneta Streets began in August this year.
Ting said the civil case was filed to annul the land title of the property [where the city hall stands] donated by the Luzuriaga family to the city.
The plaintiff, an heir of the late Jose de Luzuriaga, claimed that the issuance of the land title to the city is fraudulent, Ting added.
Earlier, the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) has declared the site of the old city hall as an important historical landmark in this city.
This after the SP passed a resolution during their regular session on August 21, 2024 recognizing the importance of preserving cultural and historical heritage in accordance with Republic Act 10066, or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.
The site where the old Bacolod City Hall stands is also where the Fountain of Justice, which has great historical significance not only for Bacolod but also for the Island of Negros, is located.
The L-shaped three-storey old structure of the old city hall was constructed in 1968 by the late Bacolod City mayor Romeo G. Guanzon around the mansion of Don Jose Ruiz de Luzuriaga, presently the Fountain of Justice.
Ting further corrected the notion of the public that the property where the city hall stands is a donated lot because as of now there is no document that shows there is a deed of donation.
The said civil case is currently awaiting the court’s decision, he said./PN
