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Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Speaker asks city to explain Nograles Park demolition
By Ben O. Tesiorna
DAVAO CITY -- The demolition of a public park built on top of a drainage canal would have been a routine excavation that city residents have been seeing all throughout Davao City for months.
But not this time, because the strip that has been demolished at the Mini Forest is proudly named "Nograles Park" among many such parks.
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Thus, House Speaker Prospero C. Nograles has warned of "dire consequences" for such move.
The park is named after the Speaker's father, Erico Nograles, although the inscription on the entrance junction of Mini-Forest only says "Nograles Park."
In a text message, Nograles said the National Government will ask officials of the City Government to explain their action.
"The city may have to explain why. The National Government will ask them to explain why and this may cause some trouble," he said.
Retired colonel Yusop Jimlani, head of the city's drainage maintenance unit (DMU), however, is not worried about the dire consequences Speaker Nograles warned about, saying the demolition of the park was properly coordinated with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). It was DPWH which constructed the park.
However, the DPWH claimed in a separate interview that it was only informed about the demolition plan just days before the actual demolition.
Jimlani said the park obstructed the free flow of water in the drainage canal aside from the fact that it was constructed by DPWH without any building permit from the City Government.
Structures above waterways, including canals and esteros, are prohibited under Presidential Decree 296.
The former Task Force Davao deputy commander admitted that the demolition order came from Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. He, however, denied politics or Duterte's fight with the Speaker has something to do with the demolition.
Jimlani said houses, parks and buildings constructed on top of the canals will also be demolished once the due process is followed. Among the structures listed to be demolished is the house owned by former city councilor Amilbangsa Manding.
At present, the City Government is in the process of census tagging to determine which houses, buildings and parks are to be demolished. Jimlani admitted the process will take some time because after the tagging, the city will have to find a relocation site for those affected.
Jimlani said Nograles' reaction is understandable, but appealed to the Speaker for a little indulgence as DMU is only looking at the "macro level" of the situation in ensuring that the flooding problem of the city is addressed.
"We are not targeting personalities here. We are looking at the macro level of the problem and try to solve them as best as we could," Jimlani said.
He said that if Nograles would like to get some clarifications, it would be best for him to talk to Duterte who was the one who ordered the demolition of not just the Nograles Park but all other obstructions.
Nograles maintained though that the demolition was more than just the anti-flooding campaign of the city.
"I guess local politics has started to come into play. No other logical explanation here," Nograles said.
Meanwhile, the DPWH insists the Nograles Park in Mini-Forest Boulevard in Davao City could not have obstructed the flow of floodwaters.
In a telephone interview Tuesday afternoon, DPWH assistant district engineer for Davao City Lorna Ricardo said they have elevated the park at half a meter higher than the canal height.
She said the park was "independently constructed as a canal cover with separate beams and columns."
Ricardo said being a simple "beautification project" of the DPWH, they did not request for a building permit as it is not a building but a mere canal cover.
"Nevertheless, if talagang kelangan nga ng building permit yung construction ay dapat binigyan muna nila ng panahon ang barangay council to secure the necessary permits. Nakasaad kasi sa letter nila (if they really need a building permit for the construction, then they should have given the village council time to secure the necessary permit. It was stated in their letter) that due process will first be observed before they demolish," Ricardo said.
It was learned that the residents of Barangay 22 were the ones who requested for the said project few years back. It was funded by the DPWH through the initiatives of Speaker Nograles.
The park was constructed in 2002 and was completed in 2006. The park, Ricardo said, is worth P4 million at the time it was completed. She said the present value of the park is, however, higher and could reach to P7 million.
"Kaya sayang talaga yung pera na ginasto sa project dahil dinemolish lang din nila," Ricardo said.
Ricardo also revealed that the letter informing them of the demolition of Nograles Park was sent to their office on October 17 around 3 p.m. and that she was only able to read it around 5 p.m. Friday.
Ricardo immediately coordinated with the Commission on Audit (COA) Monday to seek guidance on what to do with the demolition order from the City Government of Davao. She said she was advised to conduct an inventory on the structure.
"Kaya tinawagan ko yung (I called up the) City Engineers Office informing them of the COA advice, pero sinabihan nila ako na ongoing na ang demolition sa park (but they told me that demolition of the park was ongoing). Kaya nagpadala na lang ako ng tao ko dun (That is why I send a staff) to conduct the inventory," Ricardo said.
Though not casting any aspersion on the rush demolition of Nograles Park, Ricardo said she is puzzled as to why the demolition notice was given to them only on Friday and was implemented immediately on Monday giving not much time for the DPWH to appeal. (Sun.Star Davao/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Pangasinan. (October 22, 2008 issue)
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