Why not give it for free?
The former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP) Cebu City chapter aired this proposal to Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III concerning the parking space at the Capitol compound.
The governor said he will revisit the policy on imposing fees on motorists who park inside the provincial government compound that was introduced by the Economic Enterprise Council (EEC) in 2008.
“I’ll discuss the matter with the EEC. We’ll decide whether to lift all together the fees or to keep it,” Davide told reporters yesterday.
Lawyer Earl Bonachita, former president of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines Cebu City chapter, said it would be better if the Cebu provincial government will scrap the pay parking scheme.
“For me, the parking area at the Capitol is really not enough for litigants, lawyers, and officers of the court. I suggest, the Capitol might as well give it for free for those who have transactions in the area,” he said in a phone interview.
Regional Trial Court Judge Silvestre Maamo Jr. recently dismissed the petition filed by CLUB lawyers and lawyer Elias Espinoza for purportedly failing to show any interest in pursuing the case after Davide assumed his post.
Lawyers who often visit the IBP building and the Palace of Justice in the Capitol compound criticized the scheme.
The Cebu Lawyers For Unity and Brotherhood (CLUB) earlier petitioned the court to nullify the collection of parking fees by the province.
A group led by lawyer Edgar Gica claimed that the province has no power to authorize anyone to collect taxes and other charges like parking fees.
They said the ECC doesn’t have the power to declare the province’s property of public dominion as a pay-parking area which are said to be more expensive than SM and Ayala malls which charge P20 and P25 respectively for the whole day.
The province presently collects P20 for all four-wheel vehicles parked inside the compound for the first two hours.
It then charges an additional P10 for every hour afterwards.
Motorcycles parked at the Capitol compound are charged P10 for the first two hours and an additional P5 for succeeding hours.
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