ANGELES CITY -- The City Council majority bloc rejected Wednesday, July 26, PR-392 07-17, which is calling for the urgent investigation of the operations of Palladium Hotel located in Real Street in Balibago.
The resolution, sponsored by Councilor Carmelo Lazatin Jr., was rejected by the majority bloc headed by Councilor Alexander Indiongco for “lack of merit.”
rLazatin said he was saddened by the rejection and disapproval of the majority bloc “but he expected it.”
“What can I expect? They are administration councilors. They are merely ‘rubber stamps’ of the administration. But what saddened me is the lack of sincerity of the majority to their sworn obligation to uphold and protect the interest of the Angelenos, who elected us in office,” Lazatin said.
“What is there?” Lazatin asked, adding: “What is there is a colloquial used in asking what will one benefit and receive from the deal.”
He said if the administration “is not hiding something, they must not be afraid of any investigation”
He also said that there is allegedly a violation of the lease contract entered by Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan and Crystal Palace Bar represented by certain Elvira Granil.
Granil is the same owner of Palladium Hotel, which is now occupying and using the same property leased to Crystal Palace Bar, as stipulated in the lease of contract dated January 22, 2013 and signed by Pamintuan and Granil.
Lazatin pointed out that under Article VI of the said lease of contract between the Angeles City Government and Crystal Palace Bar, “the lessee (Crystal Palace Bar) shall not directly or indirectly assign or transfer it’s right of lease over the lease premises or any portion thereof under any circumstances and such contract made in violation of this clause shall be null and void, unless, the assignment or transfer is with the consent of the lessor.”
“There is no evidence or document providing that Palladium Hotel has a sub-lease contract with Crystal Palace Bar and should there be any, there is no document or certification from the Angeles City Government saying that it has prior consent on any transfer of lease,” Lazatin said.
The camp of Lazatin headed by his father, former Angeles City mayor and first district Representative Carmelo Lazatin Sr., is preparing to file an anti-graft and corruption case against Pamintuan and other local officials in relation to the Palladium Hotel operations. (PR)