Palace to Cayetano: NHCP head shouldn’t resign over Torre de Manila

Senator Pia Cayetano. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Malacañang on Wednesday said National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) chair Maria Serena Diokno’s contrary view on the Torre de Manila case is not enough basis for her to resign.

“Hindi sapat na batayan upang magbitiw ang pagkakaiba ng kanyang personal na pananaw sa opisyal na posisyon ng pamahalaan na pinahayag ni Solicitor General (Florin) Hilbay sa pagdinig ng kaso sa Supreme Court tungkol sa Torre de Manila,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said during a Palace briefing.

(Having a different personal view from the position of the government, as presented by Solicitor General Hilbay during oral arguments on the Torre de Manila before the Supreme Court, is not enough basis to resign.)

Coloma’s statement was in response to Senator Pia Cayetano’s call for Diokno to resign. Cayetano said Diokno should resign if she cannot “defend” the Rizal Monument, which has been obstructed by the 49-storey Torre de Manila.

READ: Pia Cayetano to NHCP head: Defend Rizal Monument or resign

NHCP earlier insisted that the building is beyond the boundaries of the Rizal Park and cannot obstruct the frontview of the Rizal Monument.

READ: Government lawyers drop NHCP in Torre de Manila case

This prompted the Solicitor General to drop the NHCP as its client.

“When an agency, as an immediate client, recommends a position to the OSG that is contrary to the interests of the government, the OSG can decline representing the said agency,” the OSG said in an earlier manifestation.

On Tuesday, Hilbay asked the Supreme Court to order the demolition of the condominium owned by the DM Consunji Inc. (DMCI) Homes.

READ: SolGen Hilbay asks SC to order demolition of Torre de Manila

Cayetano said, “Those occupying the top level positions of the government’s cultural agencies must be willing and able to defend national historic sites. If one cannot find it in themselves to undertake the legal and moral responsibility to do the same, then that person must resign.”

But Coloma dismissed the call and insisted that the official stand of the government, the one presented by the Office of the Solicitor General, will prevail.

“Walang pagbabago sa official stand ng pamahalaan na pahayag ng Solicitor General kahit na merong di pagsang-ayon yung isang bahagi ng pamahalaan,” he added.

(There is no change in the official stand of the government as presented by the Solicitor General even if another agency does not agree.)

Asked if the business sector will be affected in case Torre de Manila is demolished, Coloma said they would rather wait for the decision of the Supreme Court.

He said Malacañang expects a thorough and comprehensive study on the possible solutions to the problem. Kristine Angeli Sabillo, INQUIRER.net/CDG