Quezon City Mayor Herbert M. Bautista has vowed to make profitable the idle but valuable properties of the city to fund the legal battle being waged by the Quezon City Police District (QCPD) against criminals.
Mayor Bautista has directed general services department head Rolando Montiel to immediately identify city-owned properties which could be properly utilized or turned into profitable sources of funding assistance.
The Mayor believed that proceeds from rent or sale of city-owned properties could be used to augment city’s coffers and to fund priority programs and projects for the benefits of all QC residents, including policemen who put their lives in danger to keep the city safe from criminals.
He noted that most of police officers nowadays are facing problems in hiring lawyers for their legal battle against suspected criminals that they have arrested, especially when the suspects are either well-off individuals or belong to syndicates that have lawyers to help the suspects.
He strongly believed that there should be city funding for the legal battles of the police, especially when the cases involved are major crimes like carnapping and drug pushing.
The mayor also wanted to put in place scholarship grants for children of policemen, especially those who die during police operations against criminals.
“We can use the money from income on rent or sale of city-owned properties to fund the scholarship of children of policemen especially who died or for gallantry in serving our city and our people,” he said.
Some of the city-owned properties targeted to be profitable are the Community Development Center and Rotary Club, both in Barangay N.S. Amoranto; the former Philippines Pediatrics in Barangay Sto. Cristo; the former Young Women Christian Association in Don Antonio Heights; Rodriguez Property Asphalt Batching Plant in Barangay Bagong Silangan; Lions Club Building and QC Capitol Jaycees both in Barangay Kamuning; Slaughter House in Kamuning Market; Metro Manila Development Authority-SWIP 103 Base in Barangay Paligsahan; and Boracay Mansion in Barangay Mariana. Maureen Quiñones, PAISO
