Visitors swim in the green algae bloom in the beach of Boracay Island. (Photo by LYN RILLON / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
There is “absolutely no merit” for any private citizen to stop the closure of Boracay, Malacañang said on Wednesday.
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque made the response as workers and residents of Boracay, represented by the National Union of Peoples´ Lawyers (NUPL), asked the Supreme Court to issue a temporary retsraining order (TRO) to stop the six-month closure of Boracay.
READ: SC asked to stop closure of Boracay
“While the President respects the Court, we see absolutely no merit for any private party to restraint the closure of Boracay to tourists given that SC itself has previously ruled that Boracay is owned primarily by the state,” Roque said in a statement.
“We see no reason how private persons can allege and prove irreparable injuries, a prerequisite for TRO, given that their stay in the island is by mere tolerance of the State,” he added.
The closure of the resort island, he said, “is because of the inherent police power of the state to protect the environment in Boracay.”
“Unless a TRO is issued, the planned closure of Boracay to tourists, shall proceed,” he said.
President Rodrigo Duterte has approved the total closure of Boracay to tourists to allow the rehabilitation of the island, which he had earlier tagged as a “cesspool.” /atm