SC urged to order inspection of Torre De Manila for possible TRO violation

The group seeking for the demolition of the controversial Torre De Manila condominium has asked the Supreme Court to order the inspection of the building to know if the developer violated the stay order issued in 2015.

In a motion, the Order of the Knights of Rizal (OKR) said the inspection was "imperative" amid "persistent reports" that finishing touches in the interiors of the building owned by DMCI Project Developers Inc. are underway.

To confirm such reports, the OKR urged the SC to instruct technical personnel of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) and other government agencies to conduct the inspection of Torre De Manila.

After the inspection, the inspection team must submit its report to all parties not later than two months, the motion said.

In a statement, DMCI said it "has been faithfully complying with all the orders" of the SC since the court handed down a temporary restraining order on the construction of Torre de Manila in June 2015.

DMCI said in December 2015, the high court allowed the company to conduct the necessary safety and maintenance works on Torre de Manila to prevent damage to the building and to the public.

"Contrary to reports saying that the construction is already on the finishing touches, the company is actually projecting that it will take another nineteen months or so to complete the building once the TRO is lifted," DMCI said.

Torre De Manila is a 49-storey building that has gained notoriety for marring the sight line of the Rizal Monument in Luneta.

In its petition, the OKR said DMCI acted in bad faith and violated Manila's zoning ordinance and other laws as well as existing guidelines on monuments.

It also said the development project would cause "permanent and monumental prejudice and injustice" to present and future generations of Filipinos.

The SC issued the TRO against the construction of the condominium in June 2015 and held oral arguments on the case.

The Office of Solicitor General, legally representing the National Museum and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, supported OKR's call for demolition, arguing that the condominium impairs the physical integrity of the Rizal Monument.

The OSG asked the SC to order the Manila City government and the concerned national agencies to oversee the demolition of Torre de Manila and provide the necessary reports to the high court until its judgment is fully enforced. —KBK, GMA News