Billboard operators ask gov't for fair play
Billboard owners and operators all over the country today asked the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) "not to act beyond the limits of the law" even as it agrees to the dismantling of illegally constructed and placed billboards.
In a statement, the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Philippines (OAAP) said that in the absence of the amendments to the existing rules and regulations governing the industry, it would do well for the government and the private sector to work together using as guidelines the provisions in the National Building Code.
"The OAAP reiterates its position that it is not averse to regulation, but welcomes it. Temperance and due process, however, should be observed in all proceedings to regulate the outdoor advertising industry," said Carlo Llave , chairman of OAAP during a public hearing conducted yesterday in Camp Aguinaldo.
Capitalizing on perceived negative public opinion on billboards and fueled by other external factors, the DPWH, through its officials have been applying all sorts of rules and setback requirements that are either inapplicable or bereft of any legal basis in the National Building Code and in Administrative Orders Nos. 160 and 160-A.
"We believe that these officials are doing this to unilaterally and arbitrarily justify the dismantling of billboards on private property;" Llave observed.
"With due respect and in the light of the principle of separation of powers, it is not the job of DPWH to enforce laws or rules and regulations which Congress has yet to pass. If the limitations are not in the law, the remedy is to amend the law which is the authority of Congress," Llave suggested.
At the outset, the OAAP has noted that the proposed restrictions as regards height and display size and the above-described actions of the DPWH find no basis in the National Building Code and in the recent executive issuances.
The OAAP also took exception to DPWH officials who ordered its local building officers to revoke all existing building and sign permits of billboard structures arbitrarily without any basis and due process.
"The DPWH has adopted a policy of total dismantlement instead of observing due process, effectively denying billboard owners an opportunity to defend itself or rectify alleged violation." Llave said
It is in this spirit that the OAAP submits it comments on the draft amended Rule XX (Signs) on the implementing rules and regulations of the NBC.
He added that the proposed revisions to the rules should not only address the issue of regulation but also the survival of the industry through reasonable means." We must be able to find a balance between the issue on public safety and the needs of the industry to remain viable," Llave stressed.