Forced Turnover of Plaza Rizal to the City Mulled

Naga City, (May 3, 2011) - Eight months after the Supreme Court's third division ruled with finality that Plaza Rizal belongs to Naga City, not to the province of Camarines Sur, the provincial government still controls and manages the important city landmark.

In a gesture of goodwill and amiability, Mayor John Bongat who is a lawyer likes to wait it out to allow the provincial capitol to turn over the property amicably. The city councilors are more impatient and has filed a resolution requesting the mayor to file in court a writ of execution for a forced turn-over.

Prior to the final decision of the Supreme Court, the plaza had been the object of court battles between the city and the province.

Ownership dispute dates back to 1948 when Naga then the provincial capital became a charter city independent from the province. All court decisions have consistently favored the city but over the years the province has retained control of the park by promptly appealing every court decision it loses.

Councilors do not buy the proposal of Governor L-Ray Villafuerte for joint management of the plaza and are even dismayed that the public park has become an eye sore under the management of the province during the transition.

The office of the city mayor has announced a proposed development plan for the plaza which includes the construction of multi-storey building that provides, among other things, a parking area at the ground floor and a public promenade at the rooftop.