Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio said owners have to pay the demolition cost that will be spent by the city government of Davao in dismantling the billboard structures.
This is based on the notice of the Order of Removal, which states that the city government of Davao will do the demolition if the owners failed to do it. However, the owners will pay the cost spent by the city during the demolition.
“Wala bisan isa sa ilaha nag-volunteer nga mag- demolish sa ilang billboards hangtod naabtan na sa deadline. Base sa Order of Removal ang city government mag-demolish kung dili mag-volunteer ang owners, pero bayaran sa owners ang city sa cost sa demolition,” she said.
The dismantling of the structures in Bankerohan Bridge/ Sandawa Road is ongoing while the owners are appealing to the city government of Davao to amend the Davao’s City Signage Ordinance No. 092-2000, which is the basis of the demolition.
The demolition is based on the city government of Davao’s City Ordinance No. 092-2000 prohibits obstruction of the view of Mt. Apo and the Island Garden City of Samal (IGACOS) by billboards.
The billboard structure owners filed a case against the said ordinance alleging that it is unconstitutional and inconsistent with the National Building Code or the Presidential Decree No. 1096. The case has reached to the Supreme Court (SC), wherein after the exchanged of documents and arguments, SC has finally decided that the said ordinance is correct.
“After the SC’s decision that the ordinance is correct, that was a win for our city government through the effort of the city legal office, we completed the procedure, and we made it executory by implementing the ordinance,” the mayor said in a live interview with Davao City Disaster Radio (DCDR) 87.5 on Friday.
According to the mayor, there is a need to regulate the ordinance considering the effects of the billboards to the environment and to the natural scenery of the city. She said last month, the city wrote a letter to the owners instructing them to voluntarily demolish their billboards.
There are around 30 structures in Bolton Bridge and Bankerohan Bridge up for demolition. The companies affected by the demolition are KDSA Advertising, 1 Prime Advertising, APM Ad and Promo Management, Ultracraft, and United Neon.
