Mr. Arnel
Gonzales, Business Unit Head, Mall of Asia Arena in an interview at Balitaan sa
Aloha Media Forum on October 24, 2012, revealed that the tickets for the
concert of the Sting at SM MOA Arena on December 9 were about to be sold out. However, Sting decided
to transfer the venue of its concert and this was confirmed by SM Management.
It appears that
Sting heed to the call of Cheryl L. Daytec-Yangot, a counsel of Project Save
182 Movement, a pro environment group opposing the uprooting and transferring
of trees at SM Baguio City.
Daytec-Yangot posted on
Facebook: “I wrote a letter to Sting’s agents appealing that they abandon
SM-Mall of Asia Arena as the venue for the
musician’s December concert. Sting, a
voice of the oppressed, cannot sing in the halls of the oppressor!
When
inquired about the pending case involving the group of Daytec-Yangot and SM
Baguio, Atty. Chryse Bautista, SM Baguio City Spokesperson said: “tapos na, we presented our evidence and they
already presented their evidence” . . .
“pero from our perspective ano ginawa ng mga plaintiffs? Since they were not able to present any
credible evidence in court, now they go back to the media, now they go back to
the cyber space and attack SM”, she further added.
SM
Holdings in its press release stated, “this is no longer a court battle between
environment activists and corporate entity.
We are also talking about the possible detrimental effects it will have
on the Philippines’
image in the global entertainment industry”.
Let
us hear it direct from the party . . .