BACOLOD City – Officials of the 61 villages here started issuing notices of demolition against more structures encroaching on public roads, giving owners 10 days to voluntarily dismantle them.
This was the instruction of city mayor Evelio Leonardia to the barangay officials during a consultative meeting on Thursday.
Leonardia discussed the preparations for road-clearing operations in response to the order of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), which was based on President Rodrigo Duterte’s directive during his fourth State-of-the-Nation Address to reclaim public roads being privately used.
“We suggested to them that we will implement the usual 10-day notice period. We gave them until Friday to deliver the notices to all concerned structure owners,” he said.
The mayor said after the 10th day, the demolition will proceed, adding that the city government will help the barangays that need heavy equipment to tear down certain structures.
“At the same time, we also assured them they will have police presence, if needed. In implementing this, we want peace and order to reign,” he noted.
Leonardia said after 20 days, the barangay officials will submit their respective reports and an assessment will be done.
In Bacolod, personnel of the City Legal Office demolished several structures encroaching public roads in Barangay 16 on Tuesday, although similar clearing operations have already been conducted in recent months.
The mayor added that after 60 days, substantial compliance is expected among the local government units (LGUs) all over the country.
“DILG Secretary Eduardo Año is a very serious leader and President Rodrigo Duterte is a disciplinarian. We expect substantial compliance all over the Philippines,” the mayor said.
On July 29, Año issued Memorandum Circular 2019-121, giving mayors 60 days “to exercise their powers essential to reclaim public roads which are being used for private ends, and in the process rid them of illegal structures and constructions.”
DILG Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said in clearing roads of illegal structures and obstructions, mayors are expected to take the lead and ensure that barangay captains are cooperating and compliant. (With a report from PNA/PN)
