QC mayor defends Rotary Center padlocking

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte on Sunday stood by the local government’s decision to padlock the Rotary Community Center, announcing plans to convert the facility into a public space open to all accredited civic organizations.

To recall, city officials sealed the center along Roces Avenue in Barangay Paligsahan on 26 December, citing the absence of a business permit and the illegal commercial use of public property.

The land, owned by the city, was originally leased to Rotary International District 3780 in 1995 for a symbolic “one peso per year.” However, the local government cited that the lease expired on 30 June 2020.

Since then, officials say the buildings — which were funded by the government — have been occupied without authorization by the Rotary Center Foundation Inc., a separate entity from the original district.