Pacman, 8 others probed over Baywalk restaurants
Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim ordered an investigation of nine establishments previously situated along Baywalk after it was established that the owners operated without building permits and have not paid their rental fees.
The owners include boxing sensation Manny Pacquiao, a former
They may have already dismantled their establishments, but Lim yesterday said he would still call for an investigation and run after the owners who allegedly illegally operated the restaurants along Baywalk.
Lim assured that he would not give special treatment to the owners.
“I would not be affected by these personalities. Our guiding factor is they violated the law,”
The defunct Baywalk project was one of the topics discussed during yesterday’s Manila City Hall (MCH) weekly department heads meeting.
According to Lim, it appeared that the owners were delinquent in paying their rentals and operated without securing building permits.
“We would run after these establishments. Just because they are no longer there does not mean that we would not run after them. Right now, we don’t know how much their arrears are but we have the records of the owners and operators,” he said.
The transformation of Baywalk into a popular nightspot was the brainchild of former mayor Joselito Atienza, now secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
“When it opened many people applauded but after several months beerhouses sprouted. Selling beer is prohibited because it violates the ordinance on drinking in a public place. There is also a decided case at the Court of Appeals way back wherein public places cannot be subjected to the commerce of man,” Lim stressed.
MCH City Engineering Office chief Armand Andres said the City Building Office issued a notice to the establishment owners two weeks ago. “But instead of waiting for MCH workers to remove the structures, they dismantled their restaurants themselves.”
He said the 200-meter row of restaurants and entertainment bars, from the United States Embassy up to the Manila Yacht Club, had been cleared. The only thing the MCH has to do now is to fix some of the brick tiles that may have been displaced during the demolition of the restaurants and stages.
As to news reports that Malacañang was reportedly disappointed over the removal of the restaurants along Baywalk, the Mayor reiterated that he was only abiding by the law.
“If there is a violation of the law and there are numerous complaints they can just transfer the establishments” to the opposite side of
The 77-year-old local chief executive said a common criticism is that the line of restaurants along
He admitted that tenants of nearby hotels, such as the Manila Diamond Hotel and adjacent condominium units, have also complained about the din and the dancing that usually starts from
Lim instead proposed to hire students from public elementary and high schools and the two city-run colleges to play music by the bay during weekends.
He aims to encourage those skilled in playing native guitars, such as rondalla and banduria, to perform, with pay, along the Baywalk area.
After all, he added, they are used to play these instruments in their respective schools whenever they have programs.
He also said that placing a fountain in front of the statue of Rajah Sulaiman is a “desecration” of the city’s hero and that he would not allow the installation of a permanent fixture in front of it.
In the past, there were several instances when a portion of
Under his administration, Lim would not allow stages to be set up in these areas since they cause monstrous traffic jams.
Vehicles would no longer be allowed to park along the stretch of
“Obstruction of any kind would not be allowed along public streets,” the mayor stressed.
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