THE campaign of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) to stop the construction of Torre de Manila got a big boost, when the House Committee on Metro Manila Development, led by Second District Rep. Winston Castelo of Quezon City, unanimously voted to issue a cease-and-desist order (CDO) against property developer DMCI Homes.
Castelo and the committee noted that DMCI Homes should follow the CDO, as the Philippine National Police or the Armed Forces of the Philippines would be appointed by the NCCA in enforcing it against the construction Torre de Manila.
“Without an injunction from a court, the CDO should be enforced,” Party-list Rep. Rodel Batocabe of Ako Bicol said during a recent congressional hearing.
“Without an injunction the CDO exists,” Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon of Kabataan added.
Meanwhile, lawyers John Philip Baltazar and Joseph Go, who were hired by DMCI Homes, said they were not aware that the construction of the building still continued despite the CDO issued by the NCCA.
Meanwhile, Second District Rep. Lino Cayetano of Taguig City stressed that Baltazar and Go were not legitimate employees of the property developer and should not be allowed to represent DMCI Homes a congressional hearings.
Lawyer Beatrix Cruz-Angeles of the NCCA said that DMCI only complied with the CDO on the first two days, after it was served at the construction site and at the offices of DMCI.
The panel gave the DMCI lawyers an opportunity to call their principal to clarify if construction has resumed, but their calls were unanswered.
This irked Batocabe and the panel members, and stressed to the lawyers that they were not “stupid” to believe that DMCI had no idea if the construction has been ongoing. The hired lawyers of DMCI informed the panel that they were able to get the necessary permits to build from the Manila City Hall, and that the Manila City Council granted them the permit to build the 46-story building, which is 40 stories higher than what was allowed in the area.
Former Manila Mayor and now Party-list Rep. Jose Atienza of Buhay and Fifth District Rep. Amado Bagatsing of Manila recommended that the Manila City Council, led by Vice Mayor Isko Moreno, be invited to shed light on why DMCI Homes was allowed to construct a tall structure in an area that does not allow buildings to exceed six stories.
During the final part of the hearing, Batocabe asked the NCCA to provide updates on the panel as far the enforcement of CDO against DMCI Homes was concerned.
Earlier, the Order of the Knights of Rizal, a civic organization, urged the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order against the Torre de Manila because it would bring down the prestige of the historical landmark.
Rizal Raoul Reyes