DILG exec on petition vs. Boracay closure: We’ve anticipated it

State lawyers are ready to answer the petition asking the Supreme Court to stop the closure of Boracay to make way for its rehabilitation, according to Interior Assistant Secretary Epimaco Densing III on Thursday.

He was referring to the 29-page petition filed Wednesday by a resident and frequent visitor of Boracay challenging President Rodrigo Duterte's order for having "far-reaching consequences" to the islands laborers and residents.

In an interview on Balitanghali, Densing said they have anticipated the petition.

"It's a legal issue. That's why 'yung office of our Solicitor General already prepared to answer the case on applying for a temporary restraining order at matagal ho namin 'tong in-anticipate," he said.

"So we really welcome the case at sasagutin po 'to ng ating mga o abogado ng pamahalaan."

The Department of the Interior and Local Government was among the government agencies that recommended the six-month closure of Boracay.

As insisted by Malacañang, Densing said the world-famous island of Boracay was state-owned and stressed that the government holds police power to protect its environment.

He reiterated that rehabilitation efforts on the island will push through unless a TRO is issued.

"In the meantime we will implement to the best interest of the public to rehabilitate the island and to rehabilitate as soon as possible," Densing said.

For the DILG executive, petitioners failed to grasp the "general sentiment" of the public toward Duterte's order, insisting stakeholders were informed and consulted with prior to the implementation.

Densing shot down the claim that Duterte's order violates tourists and non-residents' rights to travel and to due process.

"So talaga, kung sino ang may-ari, uulitin ko, whether public or private ang may-ari nito, sila ang magde-desisyon kung sino ang gusto nilang papasukin sa isla. Wala hong nag-violate dito ng rights of travel," he said.

"Anybody or any Filipino can still travel, it's just may isang area sa Pilipinas na hindi muna natin sila pinahihintulutang pumasok dail inaayos 'to," he added.

Densing said the implementation of the ID system has not encountered any problems as of Thursday afternoon. He added that authorities were ordered to see to it that activities of residents and workers are not disrupted by security measures during the rehabilitation. —Margaret Claire Layug/KBK, GMA News