Manila hostel owner rejects ejectment order, fires shots at court sheriff, cops

A legal battle over the ownership of a hostelry in Ermita, Manila turned violent when a businesswoman, who represented one of the parties in the case, allegedly brandished an Uzi submachine gun and fired it when a court sheriff arrived to serve her an ejectment notice yesterday.

Police subdued and arrested 53year-old Marilou Balwart after a tense negotiation for her surrender that lasted nearly three hours. Balwart occupies the Hostellery Guest House or “Hostellery Manila” located at Plaza Ferguson in Ermita, Manila.

Superintendent Albert Barrot, Manila Police District (MPD) Station 5 commander, said Balwart began to be unruly around 10 a.m. when Metropolitan Trial Court (MTC) Sheriff Benny dela Vista, accompanied by police, arrived at the hostel to serve the ejectment order.

Barrot said his men heard two gunshots emanating from the two-storey hostel that also houses some offices, prompting guests and other occupants to run out of the building in panic.

He said it was Balwart who fired the shots when Dela Vista and the police entered the establishment.

During the negotiation with police that followed the burst of gunfire, Balwart refused to honor the ejectment order, claiming the case over disputing claims of ownership of the Hostellery Manila was still pending in court.

Ownership battle

The Nessian Hostellery Group, Inc., represented by Ernesto Vergel de Dios, had brought a case against Rhema International Livelihood Foundation, Inc., owned by Balwart, which has claimed ownership of the hostel and 28 other units in the building.

MTC documents showed that Balwart had acquired the rights to the place in November, 2014 through an MTC Branch 13 ruling and has since demanded R50,000 every month from March 2014 to November, 2013 from the other defendants.

After that the Nessian Hostellery Group, Inc., which was also claiming ownership of the property, filed a case of forcible entry against Balwart’s group.

This time, the MTC Branch 24 favored the Nessian group as the rightful owner of the property and issued an order for Balwart’s group to vacate the hostel.

Balwart claimed she had filed a motion for reconsideration that was scheduled for hearing on Aug. 19, 2016, the same day the order to vacate against her was issued.

Balwart claimed that she stood her ground and did not leave the place yesterday, because her camp has yet to receive a reply that will be issued by the plaintiff.

But before 1 p.m., police had restrained her and escorted her out of the building.