The Decision of Arbitration Court About the Trouble in Camp John Hay

             The dispute between the Bases Conservation DevelopmentAuthority (BCDA) and Camp John Hay Development Corp. (CJHDevCo) has been resolved after the Phililiipe Dispute Resolution Center, Inc. (PDRCI) had released their decision. The court decided that the CJHDevCo should turn over Camp John Hay to the government agency. But of course, before the BCDA can get it, there are some conditions that they should comply or else they can’t take over the place.

                If we remember, BCDA President requested to the court that their opponent should pay them 3.3 billion pesos as a back rental payment since they  occupied Camp John hay since 1996. But the request of the government agency had been rejected. The court explained that the BCDA can’t do that because of breach contract. The BCDA violated the written agreement that they had signed before. If the court granted their request, it is very unfair for CJHDevCo because they had developed the place. They had built more infracstracture already there. In other words, they invested  a lot of money in Camp John Hay. Those insfractratures are more than enough to pay debts that the BCDA claimed.

                The court also ordered to BCDA that they should pay 1.42 billion pesos to CJHDevCo because of the damages that they had given to them. The said amount was derived to the rental payment that they had been paid since the first month they operated in Camp John Hay. CJHDevCo Chairman Robert Sobrepena said that they felt that they were vindicated by the court’s decision. They had proven to the government that they don’t have any owe from them. Instead, the government has a debt with them. Sobrepena said that they will vacate Camp John Hay after the BCDA paid them. But as of now that they are not paying, they will just continue their business operation within the area. But the CJHDevCo President promised that they will cooperate with the government for the peaceful transmission of Camp John Hay.

                Sobrepena stated also they that will protect the rights and interests of the buyers, locator and sub-leassers from the properties they had acquired in Camp John Hay. Even they will vacate the place in the future, they could stay there to continue their business operation. First, they have a permit from the BCDA. Sobrepena is hoping that their opponents should not involve those people with their misunderstandings.

                If we will analyze the situation, the CJHDevCo is the real winner in this case. They will leave Camp John Hay and that is very a hard thing to do for them. But on the other hand, at lease they’ve got the justice that they are looking for. They became absuolutely free from the rental back payment demanded by the BCDA. Then, they will get 1.42 billion pesos from them. The only question, does the government pay for it immediately?