Friday, August 01, 2008 Fernando won't remove MMDA streamers
METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chairman Bayani Fernando on Thursday cautioned the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) against tearing down his posters.
He said they do not pose danger to lives and property compared to commercial billboards.
Fernando said the DPWH should instead focus their resources on commercial billboards in the metropolis particularly those that violated the provisions of the National Building Code.
"They should not do that (referring to the DPWH threat to remove his posters and the Pahayagan ng Bayan billboards). Unlike other billboards, they don't pose danger to lives and property. They're part of an intensified information and educational campaign of the MMDA to instill discipline among residents and restore order in the metropolis, a core component of the broader Metro Gwapo program towards social re-orientation of values," he said.
Aside from these, the MMDA chief said the posters and the Pahayagan ng Bayan pylon do not obstruct the flow of people and traffic to be considered as hazard.
This as he challenged DPWH-National Building Code Development Office Director Emmanuel Cuntapay to just do his job and remove the commercial billboards found violating the law instead of the MMDA posters.
According to Fernando, the Pahayagan ng Bayan pylons were precisely put up upon the request of various government agencies for their respective advocacies.
"The Pahayagan ng Bayan pylons along center islands were put up on the request of government agencies and non-government organizations (NGOs) to drum up their respective advocacies and information campaigns. They were not put up for commercial use, and they provide space for government use," he said.
He said the MMDA has been maligned by some sectors for advocating the rule of law and order in the metropolis, but they would not be cowed by such tactics.
"We have been battered left and right by some sectors who are quick to deride our well-meaning efforts to implement the law, particularly concerning roadway and sidewalk clearing operations, but we at the MMDA have the right to defend ourselves and clear our names," he stressed.
Earlier, the DPWH appealed to Fernando to voluntarily put down his streamers since these pose danger to motorists and pedestrians specifically during typhoons.
Cuntapay whose division is in charge of the campaign said they would allow the posters provided that Fernando will remove his pictures from it.
The DPWH has already dismantled 315 billboards in the metropolis, mostly located along Epifanio delos Santos Avenue (Edsa) that are found violating the building code.
The campaign to remove illegal billboards and advertisement gained momentum after the 2006 onslaught of Typhoon Milenyo when more than 40 such structures were torn down by heavy winds and rains. (AH/Sunnex)
