THE Silay City Government in Negros Occidental took down the tarpaulin of former Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go displayed at the public plaza.

The tarpaulin read “Maligayang Pasko from SAP Bong Go.” Go resigned from his post to run for senator.

Mayor Mark Golez, in his Facebook post, stressed it was “never the intention of the City Government to offend anyone, most especially SAP Bong Go, but merely to apply the rule of law fairly and squarely to all.”

He explained that the taking down of the tarpaulin was pursuant to the city ordinance which regulates advertisements by means of signboards, billboards, posters, paintings on walls, slides in movies, handbills, leaflets, streamers, electric or neon lights, display stand, and others of the same nature and prescribing a permit fee and other regulating fees.

The said ordinance stated that any person who wishes to display any outdoor sign must first file an application with the Office of the City Engineer and must include the location, site plans, actual structural design, written consent of the owner of the premises, and such other pertinent data as may be required by the Office of the City Engineer. Moreover, prior to posting, permit fees must be paid.

“Given that no application was ever filed with the Office of the City Engineer and neither was the required permit fee paid, the City Government was constrained to take down the tarpaulin,” Golez added.