GSIS retakes Pasay site; Gloria Maris evicted

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) has regained possession of its prime property in Pasay City after Gloria Maris Shark’s Fin Restaurant was ordered to vacate the place.

The state pension fund said in a statement this happened upon the orderly and peaceful implementation of an eviction process carried out over three days from Sept. 14 to Sept. 16. The property in question occupies 7,741 square meters at the CCP Complex in Pasay City.

“After 12 years, the law has finally allowed us to recover the GSIS property through due process and we are now free to utilize the property for the interest of our members and pensioners,” Arnulfo Veloso, president and general manager of GSIS, said in a statement.

This was done pursuant to a writ of execution from Branch 118 of the Regional Trial Court (RTC) of Pasay issued on July 15, as well as a notice to vacate dated Aug. 3.

On Sept. 14, the Pasay RTC released the certificate of turnover to GSIS, certifying that the sheriff “turned over the control and possession of the disputed property to GSIS.”

According to Veloso, the restaurant was evicted from the GSIS property after years of refusing to turn it over to the government agency despite long-standing orders from the RTC, Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court.

The GSIS chief said the lease contract between GSIS and Gloria Maris Pasay only covered the period Jan. 1, 2006 to Dec. 31, 2007.

And, although the contract had not been renewed, GSIS allowed the restaurant to continue using the property on a month-to-month lease until June 2010, to give the company sufficient time to relocate its business and cater to its advance bookings.

But when the lease expired in June 2010, Gloria Maris Pasay “refused to surrender” the property to GSIS. Instead, the company asked the court to extend the lease period to at least five years.

The state pension fund said that after Gloria Maris Pasay repeatedly ignored the demand letters from GSIS to vacate and surrender the property, GSIS had to file an ejectment case against the restaurant operator.