Pics of 'pambansang photobomb' digitally altered, claims Torre de Manila developer

Published September 16, 2014 11:01pm

Images that fueled public outrage at a high-rise project near the Rizal Monument in Manila were altered for "propaganda" purposes, its proponent said in a statement on Monday.

DMCI Project Developers, Inc. said the Torre de Manila condominium “is almost one kilometer away from the monument and even a bit on the right side. But to grab public attention, some parties took to the unethical approach of virtually juxtaposing pictures of our project right behind the monument.”

The developer added: “In effect, their claim of ‘photobomb’ was Photoshopped. It was a success as far as getting the public to believe their propaganda, but it was at the expense of the truth.” DMCI was referring to a popular photo editing software that can change the appearance of images digitally.

Two groups, the Order of the Knights of Rizal and the Las Damas de Rizal, asked the Supreme Court to stop the construction of DMCI's Torre de Manila last Friday.

They said the building should be demolished "to clear the view of the Rizal Monument and the Rizal Park for posterity."

In response, DMCI said the construction of the tower, which critics have described as a "photobombing” condominium that mars the view of Rizal Park, has met all local zoning and building rules,

“Our zoning permit, issued on June 19, 2012, specifically allows us to build 97,549 square meters. This was confirmed when the building permit was issued the following month showing that we were cleared to build a 49-storey project,” the company statement said.

It added that the National Historical Commission had cleared the project, declaring it well away from the boundaries of the Rizal Park and the Rizal National Monument.

The condo builder said that for its future projects, “it might ask the Manila City government to designate a buffer zone around Rizal Park and regulate building development.”

In its email to GMA News Online, however, DMCI spokesperson Resty Perez did acknowledge that the Torre de Manila may intrude into tourists' view of the Rizal Shrine.

He offered some photography advice for people taking pictures at the park.

"One may stand near the monument and choose certain angles to avoid or at the very least, minimize the building’s intrusion," Perez said in the email. — Rie Takumi/ELR/JST, GMA News

Tags: rizalmonument, torredemanila