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By Manny B. Marinay, City Editor and
Cheryl Arcibal; Jonathan Vicente, Reporters
Second of 3 parts
TODAY’S Independence Day is one of the rare
times promenaders would see a spruced-up Luneta, some of its former
splendor restored.
For a few hours, at least. After the parade, the
fireworks, and the contest of the marching bands, Luneta returns to
its old, decaying self. In the Central Lagoon, the fountains are
once again turned off. The skating rink is taken over by the
swarm of hawkers. Litter begins to gather on the cracked pavements.
Luneta has long been a showcase of neglect. The
agency that manages it, the National Parks Development Committee (NPDC)
gripes that there is not enough funds for the park’s
rehabilitation and development.
The Manila city government is not buying the
NPDC’s line. It strongly believes the committee should be held
accountable for the park’s sorry state.
Mayor Lito Atienza says that if the NPDC cannot
“protect Luneta,” it should turn it over to the city.
Atienza says it is but right that Luneta should
be under the care of Manila. He cannot “stomach seeing
Luneta deteriorate because of neglect and lack of vision.”
Atienza is considering going to court if all
available legal remedies to wrest control of Luneta fail.
“The first thing to do is to talk to the
President that Manila wants to get back Luneta. If we don’t get
action from this, we will file a case in court,” he says.
In a separate interview, Manila Councilor Kim
Atienza, confirms that the city government would indeed sue the NPDC.
Atienza says Executive Order 69 stands in the
way of his plans to develop the park. EO 69 created the NPDC, giving
it full control over the 50-hectare Luneta.
EO 69 was issued on Feb. 7, 1964 when Diosdado
Macapagal was president.
Atienza acknowledges that NPDC did actually
improve Luneta during the ’70s. “The team work effectively at
the time. But now under normal conditions, Manila should be the one
accountable for Luneta.”
Amend EO 69
Atienza has asked several Manila congressmen to
draft a proposal that would amend EO 69.
“What we’re doing is the amendment. We’ll
bring it to Congress. I’m just finding the right time,” he says.
Atienza says he cannot accept that Luneta is not
owned by Manila. “I cannot imagine Central Park not being owned by
New York. In our case, Luneta is not ours. It’s a big change in
world history.”
Another nasty issue for Atienza is that Manila
has never been compensated by the national government when it took
away Luneta.
NPDC Executive Director Jaime K. Recio does not mind taking Atienza
on. “I think it will be all a case of legal matter. Basically it
will boil down to lega-lity. That’s their prerogative. I cannot
stop them from doing so. It’s a free country,” he says.
Recio says he is aware that the mayor has been
itching to reclaim Luneta and even thanks him for helping improve
the park’s environs.
According to Recio, NPDC would only give back
Luneta to the city government if EO 69 is amended or if a court
orders them to do so.
No turf war
Recio sees no turf war developing between Manila
and the NPDC, noting that EO 69 clearly mandates the NPDC to be the
agency in charge of the park.
“You see, the creation of NPDC is legal.
Manila can do its part. Mas mabuti nga kung magtutulungan kami
(It would be better if we’re going to help each other out),” he
points out.
Recio admits he has reservations about giving up
Luneta. Look what happened to Burnham Park in Baguio and the Quezon
Memorial Circle when the city government took over, he says.
“Burnham was turned over to the local
government of Baguio, and look what happened? The Quezon Memorial
Circle, it’s a shame now. The question is: who will do a better
job? The NPDC or the LGUs concerned?”
Atienza wants to be NPDC chief
One of the legal remedies Atienza is weighing is
to ask President Macapagal-Arroyo to appoint him as director of the
NPDC so he can have a big say over Luneta’s development. “Maybe
the chairman should be the mayor of Manila. Without changing the
law, the mayor can be the chairman of the NPDC.”
Recio says there is no need for the mayor to
become NPDC chief since the city of Manila is actually part of
the NPDC and Atienza is a member of a committee.
“I’m the vice chair and the chair is
(Richard) Gordon of the Department of Tourism (DOT). My job as the
executive director of the NPDC is to oversee the running of the
park.”
Recio: We’re just trying to help
Recio advises Atienza to forget his bid to
retake Luneta saying the NPDC is just trying to save the city the
burden of overseeing such a huge park. “The city of Manila is
already burdened with so many problems. There are other government
agencies that will handle Luneta better. We are getting support from
other agencies with regards to certain projects for Luneta.”
But Atienza remains firm. He vowed not to go the
way of his predecessor Alfredo Lim who had grand designs for Luneta
only to shelve them in the end.
First of three parts | Conclusion
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