Amid the number of groups who are against the SM Prime Holdings Incorporated’s plan to make an extension of the mall in Luneta Hill, the expansion project will now continue.
The Supreme Court issued a resolution in April 16 this year reiterating the temporary restraining order(TRO) they released in 2015, in which SM is ordered to discontinue the cutting and balling of trees, but excluded implementing the expansion plan from the coverage of the TRO.
The corporation started cutting trees last 2012 to give way for the Sky Park project, but was suspended after the temporary environmental protection order (TEPO) was released by the Court of Appeals April 2015.
However the TEPO was lifted last December 2014.
The corporation said it has made the resolution as the basis for them to begin with the project again.
“Before the project, SM has secured the final approval and necessary permits from pertinent government agencies. Inputs from different meaningful advocacy and community groups were gathered and considered to put the project together," the mall management's official statement said.
"Work began after the Supreme Court clarified that the expansion plan was excluded from the TRO they earlier issued in a resolution dated April 19, 2016," it added.
Environmental advocate and legal counsel against SM Corporation, Cheryl Daytec-Yangot said the resolution cannot be considered as a solid basis for SM to begin the project again.
“Kung 'yung plano nilang initial ay kailangan mag-cut sila ng trees, there is no way they can expand their mall without cutting 182 trees. Ngayon sinabi ng Supreme Court na huwag silang magputol, wag silang mag-earth balling," she said.
"Kung hindi sila pwedeng mag-earth ball at pwedeng mag-cut, anong expansion plan ang kanilang i-implement ngayon?," she said.
Yangot maintained, SM has to start from scratch and secure a new permit along with a new plan.
"Kailangan nila mag-umpisa ulit, kumuha ng bagong permit at gumawa ng bagong plano. I’m no longer surprised sa ginagawa ng SM. I don’t think that from the beginning SM showed respect for the processes,”she said.
Dr. Michael Bengwayan, an environmentalist who led the project 'Save 182,' a movement against the planned expansion, was also dismayed with the court resolution.
“It’s the Supreme Court that is talking now, I hope they are being guided with their decisions, eventually it’s the future that will spell out whether the decision is right or wrong," he said.
SM said it will feature green architecture by placing green walls, green facilities and a more environment-friendly sewerage treatment plant (STP).
It will add a total 68,123.75 square meters, generating 652 additional parking slots.
They claim that the building will help ease the traffic problem of the city and have already planted 500,000 pine tree seedlings as a replacement for the trees they have cut.
SOURCE: ABS-CBN
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