MANILA, Philippines - Church officials in Quezon City asked Mayor Herbert Bautista to stop the ongoing construction of a motel which is located near school vicinities.

Dr. John Florentino Teruel, patriarch and founding bishop of the Apostolic Catholic Church, said the construction of the chains of Nice Hotels along EDSA beside the Quezon City Academy and near the San Francisco High School is a clear violation of the National Building Code.

"With a hotel/motel built near schools, the danger to the safety, health, and morals of students is very high. It is known fact that a hotel/motel near schools contributes to the incidence of crime, sexually-transmitted diseases, and unwanted teenage pregnancies among students," Teruel said in a letter to Bautista.

Teruel added that despite these glaring violations, the city building official still issued a permit.

"When confronted by our Church, the office of the city building official claimed that an international hotel is being built in the area and not a motel. The permit issued, however, clearly indicates that the owner applied for a permit to build a hotel/ motel," the bishop said.

He said that they learned that the Office of the District Engineer of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) did not approve the construction.

The ODE, according to Teruel, has jurisdiction on any construction along EDSA.

"We will be exerting all efforts to seek your intervention, as we also intend to exhaust all legal and para-legal measures to prevent its construction and operation," the bishop said.

Recently, the local council of Muntinlupa passed an ordinance banning the construction of motels in the city.

Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=682878