Caloocan City Mayor Enrico Echiverri has decided to freeze the takeover of the Ever Gotesco Grand Shopping Mall in deference to the welfare of stall holders.

Echiverri, a lawyer of pro-workers? groups before becoming mayor, said he chose to ?back off? not because he was threatened by tirades of lawyers of the mall management but that he wanted the 300 occupants to keep their business uninterrupted.

?I have decided to withdraw for a while. At the same time, I am leaving to the court to determine if it will give the mall owners another deadline before they finally vacate the property,? he told Standard Today.

But Echiverri said city hall would remain steadfast in enforcing the writ of possession issued by Branch 126 Judge Oscar Barrientos, of the Caloocan City regional trial court, for the mall management?s alleged failure to pay some P722 million in realty taxes in the past 23 years.

?Sadly, the mall administration through its lawyers was misleading the public especially the tenants and stall holders unaware that the downpayment made for the purchase of the property was also intended for the unpaid tax liabilities.,

In a separate interview, counsel Trixie Cruz-Angeles, also mall spokesman, affirmed that the mall owners and the city government signed a memorandum of agreement on the payment terms of the sale on Sept. 25 last year, resulting in Gotesco issuing two manager?s checks amounting to P30 million downpayment, and 36 postdated checks for the balance.

?The city treasurer acknowledged receipt of both the P30-million downpayment and the 36 postdated checks covering the balance. Thus, you can imagine the shock of Gotesco officials when they learned of the underhanded tactics being used to take over the mall,? she said.

Angeles wondered how Gotesco could owe Caloocan P722 million in realty taxes when it came to own the property only last year.

She also questioned the city?s defiance of an earlier injunctive relief issued by a Manila regional trial court in favor of her client.

On Friday, a Caloocan sheriff tried to serve the court order amid the management?s refusal to vacate the premises leading to a standoff that lasted up to early evening as the mall was closed and security guards formed a human chain at the entrance. Arlie Calalo