By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan
Personnel from the Office of the Building Official (OBO) of the Iloilo City Government attempted to remove a tarpaulin poster on Thursday, Dec. 12, from a building along Benigno S. Aquino Jr. Avenue in Mandurriao, citing alleged violations of local and national regulations.
The poster, promoting the Sulong-Gugma slate for the 2025 elections, represents the main opposition to the ruling administration of Mayor Jerry Treñas.
The attempted removal followed a Notice of Violation dated Dec. 6, signed by OBO head Mavi Gustilo, citing Regulation Ordinance No. 2013-330, as amended, which prohibits billboards and streamers in public plazas and parks.
The notice also alleged violations of Rule XX of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Presidential Decree No. 1096 (National Building Code), claiming the absence of signage permits for the tarpaulin.
Building owner Elena Divinagracia was given 24 hours from Dec. 10 to remove the poster or face summary removal.
However, in a Dec. 11 letter addressed to Gustilo, Divinagracia’s lawyers argued that the ordinance does not apply to private buildings.
“With profound respect to you and your office, Engr. Gustilo, we are afraid that the course of action that you are about to take will be violative of Regulation Ordinance No. 2013-330 as amended by Regulation Ordinance No. 2020-119, which you yourself invoked, let alone the fundamental tenets of due process which the Constitution mandates,” the letter read.
The lawyers emphasized that Section 1(f) of the ordinance applies to public plazas and parks, not private properties, adding that any broader interpretation would “strain” the ordinance’s intent.
A source close to Sulong-Gugma revealed that lawyer and councilor candidate Kesha Pesina-Tupas confronted the OBO personnel.
The team reportedly advised her to secure an injunction from the courts to prevent the removal and indicated they would return on Monday, Dec. 16.
Efforts to reach Pesina-Tupas for further details remain unanswered as of this writing.