Baywalk violence: 2 killed, 3 drowned

Rody: Queensland could be sued for baywalk deaths

By ROGER M. BALANZA

 

            Queensland Motel should be responsible for security in its bay walk, and could be sued for the killings that occurred in the seaside promenade it built illegally on a government property.

            Mayor Rodrigo Duterte said relatives of the victims could have charged Queensland Todorico Adarna, since the bay walk in nature is his property and is responsible for the safety of people in the bay walk.

            Last year two violent incidents transpired in the bay walk that stands on part of a 24-hectare city government reservation area that was reclaimed by Adarna without permit from the city and national government.

            A gang of young men stabbed dead a 17-year old student and hurled his body into the sea, around middle of last year. In December, a man killed a 14-year old girl by bashing her head on the concrete sea wall of the bay walk, reportedly to silence the girl who warned about reporting her being raped by the assailant.

            Three children reportedly also have died from drowning after straying into a deep portion of the sea fronting the bay walk dug up for sand used by Adarna in the reclamation work of the foreshore area in Matina Aplaya.

            At the Gikan sa Masa Para sa Masa  television program on ABS/CBN yesterday, Duterte said relatives of the killings missed a chance to hold Queensland Motel by not filing a case that he said could have prospered.

            The bay walk is the property of Queensland which should provide security personnel to secure the safety of people, he said. The bay walk is open to the public and has become an attraction and a favorite promenading area. One of its attractions is the 30-foot concrete replica Michaelangelo’s young and naked David.

            But while harsh on the security aspect of the baywalk, Duterte said he could not implement a city council resolution that urged demolition of the illegal constructions. He said that demolishing the baywalk would also force him to remove other illegal structures in the 24-hectare reservation area, which includes Times Beach which is dotted with stalls of small beach vendors.

            Last year, the city council declared the bay walk as illegal and recommended to City Hall the demolition of the structure and the filing of charges against Adrana.

            The Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) also declared the reclamation of the foreshore area as illegal, and ordered Adarna to stop further work on the reclaimed government property.