Mile Hi Group seeks Palace review of Camp John Hay closures

BAGUIO CITY, Philippines – The Mile Hi Group has asked Malacañang to review the procedures that led to the closure of its outlets inside Camp John Hay, saying the enforcement of Cease and Desist Orders (CDOs) on November 3, 2025 left “no prior notice or opportunity to cure any alleged deficiencies,” based on its official statement dated November 28.

The group said its appeal is anchored on “documented timelines and official communications” it previously submitted to authorities.  

A September 5, 2025 letter from JHMC president and CEO Manjit T. Singh Reandi confirmed that Mile Hi’s leases at the Mile Hi Complex were extended “until January 5, 2026,” while expansion proposals remained under review. This followed an August 28 letter from proponent Luigi Nuñez requesting continued collaboration and lease extension.

This written extension stands in contrast to later public statements that the tenants were operating without a subsisting lease.

In its statement, the Mile Hi Group said it had invested in bringing activity back to long-unused portions of the Mile Hi Complex under the June–August 2025 lease, subsequently extended by JHMC. It added that it raised billing and utility questions in letters sent on September 6, September 24, and October 28 — among them a water charge exceeding ₱182,000 for three months, far higher than the reported averages of other outlets.  

Despite these unresolved issues, the group said it delivered checks on November 14 “to cover the full amount of the outstanding billing,” but JHMC staff did not accept the payment due to internal approval procedures.

CDOs enforced before notices to vacate

According to the Mile Hi Group, the CDOs were dated October 30 and served on November 3, about an hour after one of the owners visited the JHMC office to discuss billing concerns. The orders were implemented immediately, halting operations at all outlets.

It also noted that Final Demand and Notice to Vacate letters, typically issued before closures, were dated November 17 and served on November 18, more than two weeks after the shutdown. The group said the sequence was included in its statement “solely to complete the factual timeline.”  

A separate November 6 letter from JHMC building official Engineer Bobby Akia revoked the Authority to Operate for In-Bento, Hay&Co, and Mile Hi Diner. The letter cited expired lease agreements, continued operations after their lapse, accumulated lease and Common Use Service Area (CUSA) obligations, utility arrears, and items listed in an October 23 Notice of Violation. It also said the Office of the Building Official (OBO) would recommend cancellation of the outlets’ business permits by the Baguio City Government.  

The group said more than 30 employees have been unable to work since the closures and estimated losses at around ₱3.8 million from non-operations, cancelled bookings, and spoilage.

On November 25, Nuñez submitted an administrative complaint to the Office of the Deputy Executive Secretary for Legal Affairs, accusing Reandi of abuse of authority, oppression, retaliation, harassment, gross violation of due process, defiance of the BCDA Board, and conduct prejudicial to the best interest of the service.

Nuñez wrote that the complaint stemmed from the “simultaneous Cease-and-Desist Orders issued without due process on November 3, 2025” and affirmed that its contents were based on his personal knowledge and official records.

JHMC: Contract expired, rent unpaid

Reandi, in an interview with the media on December 5, Friday, said JHMC acted within normal procedures and stressed that the tenants’ contract had ended. He said the outlets were allowed to operate temporarily “under the tolerance of the management” to support economic activity but maintained that collection efforts must be fair to other tenants who pay regularly.

He added that JHMC had documentation of attempts to reach the locators and said that when obligations are “due and demandable,” agencies cannot override Commission on Audit (COA) rules. He also said tenants issued CDOs for non-payment should approach the imposing agency for guidance.

“Ayaw din naman namin na magsarado, kaso gusto namin fair,” Reandi said. (We also don’t want them to close, but we want fairness.)

In its statement, the Mile Hi Group said it respects “all lawful processes” and is seeking clarification to ensure it is given a fair chance to comply. It emphasized that its release “is not intended to make allegations of wrongdoing,” but to inform stakeholders of its status and request for review.  

Malacañang has yet to announce the status of the review request or the administrative complaint. – Rappler.com

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