‘The cranes are not moving’: Netizens laud SC TRO on Torre de Manila

Netizens on Tuesday lauded the Supreme Court ruling imposing a temporary restraining order on the construction of the Torre De Manila condominium, a structure that supposedly affected the vista of the Rizal Monument.

The phrase "Torre de Manila" trended on Twitter at second place.

Cultural activist Carlos Celdran tweeted, "I just stopped by the Torre de Manila today. OMG. THE CRANES ARE NOT MOVING. The Supreme Court has spoken."

Celdran filed a complaint against the development of the condominium before the City of Manila in 2012.

However, Manila City Councilor Joel R. Chua said that building and zoning permits were already given to the developer.

The condominium's construction has prompted the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) to declare the Rizal Monument as one of the world's threatened heritage sites.

Despite the good news, some advocates pointed out that the issue should have been decided earlier.

"Why now? Sana before pa nakapagsimula na," Twitter user SantiSanGabriel wrote.

Meanwhile, netizen Stella Arnaldo said she hopes the decision is "not too late."

According to developer DMCI, the high-rise condominium is already 30.7 percent complete with ongoing structural activities at the 32nd floor as of December 19, 2014.

In a hearing in August 2014, Senate Committee on Education, Arts, and Culture head Senator Pia Cayetano pointed out that the court may order the demolition of the P1-billion project.

National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) chairperson Felipe de Leon, Jr. pointed out that in Turkey, the court ordered the demolition of 27-storey, 32-storey and 37-storey towers that marred the backdrop of the 400-year-old Blue Mosque.  

In the Philippines, the Manila Regional Trial Court stopped the construction of a sports complex inside Intramuros in 2007, Heritage Conservation Society president Ivan Henares said.

Sculptor and architect Ramon Orlina also successfully stopped a construction that would have marred the beauty of Taal Basilica, a National Historical Landmark.

According to NHCP's Guidelines on Monuments Honoring National Heroes, Illustrious Filipinos and other Personages, vista points, and visual corridors to monuments should be "clear for unobstructed viewing appreciation and photographic opportunities." -NB, GMA News