The City Engineers Office was just implementing its job,” so said Assistant City Engineer Felipe Picardal when interviewed about the demolition of illegal structures in Barangay 2 Jones Street in Tacloban. The demolition was carried out by personnel of the CEO Enforcement Team last Thursday, February 28 on 18 (not 30 structures as reported on social media) illegal structures occupying part of a city road, at the back of the DAR Regional Office. Picardal said that due process was followed, and owners of the structures were served notices of violations before the dismantling order was carried out.

He then showed the CIO, a copy of the City Ordinance No. 09-08 – ” An Ordinance Prohibiting the construction, installation, extension or Maintenance of Buildings, Structures of any kind or device and stalls on the streets or its sidewalks and providing penalties thereof,” said ordinance along with the road setback regulations stated in City Ordinance No. 2013 – 11 – 18 were the basis of the demolition.

Meantime, an official of the Enforcement Section of the CEO said that Barangay 2 Chairman Gwendolyn Selga and 18 others were served the notices and also signed letters of consent. Reportedly, the notices were served as early as 2017.

Contrary to claims making the rounds on social media, the structures were not houses but makeshift stalls and scrap junkyards added the official.

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Photo: Copy of City Ordinance No. 09-08