BAGUIO CITY: The city prosecutor’s office dismissed the charges for violating the provisions of Presidential Decree (PD) 1096 or the “National Building CODE” filed BY THE CITY GOVERNMENT AGAINST the owners of the famous Igorot Stone Kingdom for lack of merit.

A 2-page resolution penned by Prosecuting Attorney Oliver Isabelo Prudencio and approved by City Prosecutor Conrado Catral Jr. said that respondents Pio and Hajji Velasco

were able to complete all the building requirements satisfactorily and were duly received by the Office of the City Administrator. The City Administrator’s Office acknowledged compliance with the requirements imposed by the local government for the issuance of the building permits for the structures being complained of, putting an end to the issues raised.

The resolution pointed out that receipt of the Office of the City Administrator of the letter, together with the supporting documents for the issuance of the building permits of the structures of the Igorot Stone Kingdom issued on Feb. 13, 2023, showed that the local government has acknowledged that the owners of the famous tourist spot were able to comply with the requisites set forth by the city.

On Dec. 5, 2022, the city prosecutor’s office suspended the conduct of the requisite preliminary investigation on the case filed by the city government for violation of the pertinent provisions of the National Building Code on the basis that the owners were already on the verge of complying with the requirements in securing the building permits. On Dec. 14, 2022, the local government filed a motion for reconsideration before the city prosecutor’s office.

Before the resolution of the case, on Feb. 17, 2023, the owners of the Igorot Stone Kingdom submitted a letter stating that they could fully comply with the requirements for their application for the building permits.

“Going over the issues, it appears that the respondents were able to comply with the requirements as prescribed under Presidential Decree 1096 regarding the structures complained of,” the resolution read.

The city prosecutor reiterated that PD 1096 is curative, and submission of the requisites necessary for securing a building permit addresses the issue the city building official raised. It could be a basis for dismissing the complaint against the owners of the said tourist destination.

Last year, the local government unceremoniously closed the famous Igorot Stone Kingdom for the reported failure of the owners to secure building permits.The Igorot Stone Kingdom became a tourist attraction because of the artificial stone structures erected through the use of the stone masonry famous among Igorots.