‘Demolition of illegal structures along streets no legal problem’
Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog has directed the Task Force Asis to start soon the demolition of hundreds of illegal structures along public places and sidewalks.
Mabilog said there is no more legal impediment in the demolition of illegal structures because a letter from Secretary Jesse Robredo of the Department of Interior and Local Government reinforced the city’s initiatives against illegal structures that impede the smooth traffic flow and passage of pedestrians.
Task Force Asis Executive Director Robert Dumanil said that Executive Order 004 was issued by the mayor last July 16, calling for restructuring and strengthening the anti-squatting and illegal structures task force.
The order will be implemented immediately at the area of the central business districts and eventually in other areas in the city in consonance with provisions of Republic Act 7279, which empowers local government units to adopt measures to curtail the nefarious and illegal activities of professional and squatting syndicates.
Under the order, Dumanil was appointed anew as Task Force executive director to enforce the law and remove illegal structures and squatters declared as nuisance on city public places and properties.
The new order is a restructured version of Executive Order No. 14 issued in 1990 that prohibits the use of sidewalks, public places and plazas for the construction of stalls, kiosks for commercial purposes and other constructions declared as nuisance per se and shall be summarily removed or demolished.
Notices were served to owners of illegal structures in the central business district area as priority demolition. After three notices of demolition date and the illegal structure owners still refused to vacate and removed the structure, the task force is empowered to demolish the illegal structures. PNA
