ILIGAN City ― “Alis dyan!”
This, I understand is the gist of that darn Supreme Court decision which came out July 24 of this year but "made public" only last October 24. A spooky decision, what else.
The "keep off" message was directed, of course, to the city government, who else. Lawyer Robert Padilla, city legal officer said that an "MR" or "Motion for Reconsideration" is an "exercise in futility." Meaning this LGU should refrain really, from doing "acts of ownership" as regards the National Steel Corporation. This is a 450-hectare facility note.
A practical way of thinking, I should say. He says too that the city hasn't received officially such decision. But they'll make some "verifications." After which they'll make their move.
Maybe, it helped that the Colegio de Iligan was already shut down. That's one load off the city's back. As the CDI, if one recalls, was placed inside the National Steel Corporation. It was also learned that as of press time, there are around 170 people inside the NSC grounds paid by the city to do "something" inside the NSC buildings. I don't know what this "do something" means.
And this translates too of 170 more becoming "jobless in the Philippines." Or maybe, the city can retain them and find other "jobs" for them? The venue, to recall was also made the headquarters of the unlamented administration of the then mayor Celso G. Regencia. And also, some "Marites" say, the residence of some favored "fighting cocks". Although this isn't confirmed.
The said decision of the Supreme Court's third division, to note ruled that the city government of Iligan should "permanently desist" from taking possession and control over the steel firm's assets. NSC, to note then one of the largest steel mills in Asia had gone bankrupt and was placed under liquidation in October 2000. This is due to loans incurred from ten banks led by the Philippine National Bank.
But the company too had incurred real property tax arrears from its plant and the land which it occupied. Thus the city's move to make acts of ownership over the assets. Yet, the liquidator under lawyer Danilo Concepcion could not take it sitting down, so to speak. Thus, this decision!
NSC, to note, during its heyday, when it was still operating as such, employed 6,000 to 7,000 people from far and near. And I now remember the lyrics of some half-forgotten song that says, "those were the days, my friend, we thought it would never end, we'd sing and dance, forever and a day…"
As with other things, there's really no "forever" in this world. Now, we'll have to ask Atty. Concepcion about that as he and his team had been engaged in a "tug of war" with the city government.
But I think there's another team that has not been mentioned. There's the Global team, an Indian company to has claimed over NSC.
The plot really is thickening, and thickening some more…
Email: norasorino2@gmail.com
