THE METROPOLITAN Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Monday welcomed the Court of Appeals’ ruling that reversed a Makati court order stopping the agency from regulating the issuance of permits for billboards and advertising signs on major and secondary thoroughfares in the metropolis.
MMDA Chair Emerson Carlos said in a statement that the legal victory was a “welcome development” for the agency which was “tasked also to clear ads, signs and gigantic billboards [that] not only oftentimes distract motorists and serve as eyesores in the Metro Manila skylines but also give lewd subliminal messages.”
In a 21-page decision, the appellate court dismissed the petition for declaratory relief filed by three advertising firms and upheld the MMDA’s power to regulate the permits issued for billboards. Kristine Felisse Mangunay