Manila seeks court order for Dealco to pay back taxes, rent on Vitas abattoir

MANILA, Philippines – Manila legal officer Renato de la Cruz has petitioned the Regional Trial Court to order Dealco Farms Inc. to pay the P3.3 million in unpaid real property taxes and rental fees. The amount is just part of the P20.82 million the firm has settled to pay the city for taxes and rentals it incurred while still operating the Manila Stock & Slaughterhouse in Vitas, Tondo. De la Cruz filed the petition for a writ of execution last Monday, GMANews.TV learned on Thursday. Last year Dealco acknowledged what it owed the city in the course of a civil suit hearing at the Manila RTC Branch 26. Dealco sued Lim and other city officials to prevent them from taking over the slaughterhouse. Lim wanted City Hall to take over the management of the Vitas slaughterhouse because Dealco had allegedly broken several provisions in its 20-year lease contract with the city. Judge Silvino Pampilo Jr. issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) against the city officials and gave both sides 20 days to make a compromise agreement. On Sept. 28, 2007, Pampilo issued a resolution ordering the Dealco to pay City Hall what it had acknoweledge it owed. Of P9.22 million in real property taxes, Dealco offered to pay 25 percent of it first, and then follow up with monthly installments of P192,006.13 for three years beginning on Oct. 29, 2007. The unpaid taxes were accumulated from 2005 up to the third quarter of 2007. Of its unpaid rentals of P11.6 million, Dealco offered to pay in four quarterly installments for a year with a 6 percent total interest starting on Nov. 29, 2007. The P3.3 million represents unpaid installments of real property taxes and rentals became due this year, specifically on July 29 and August 29. - GMANews.TV