Build new Rizal statue inside Rizal Park

TORRE DE Manila, standing tall and in full view from where the statue of our national hero, Jose Rizal, is located inside a park named after him, has given rise to all kinds of comments and criticisms. As of now, DMCI, which owns the property, has been ordered by the Supreme Court to immediately stop its construction.

Manila’s former mayor Alfredo Lim and incumbent Mayor Joseph Estrada traded harsh words, blaming each other for giving DMCI the go-signal to construct the building, which is now viewed as an obstruction or eyesore in the backdrop of Rizal’s monument, thus disrespecting the memory of our national hero.

I would like to comment and make suggestions on the matter:

1. Demolishing Torre de Manila, now almost finished, and disregarding the millions of pesos spent for its construction would be impractical. Compare that to the cost of erecting a statue of Jose Rizal (below which his bones are supposed to be buried).

2. Rizal Park is a big area. Instead of the suggestion by a politician to just turn Rizal’s statue around, perhaps we can find a more suitable spot in the park where we can build a new statue for our hero. The amount to be spent, chargeable to DMCI as part of its penalty.

3. Why assail the Torre de Manila project only when it was already almost halfway through? The groups that are very much against it should have aired their opposition to it right at the start of its construction and consistently followed through with their objection.

4. The construction of Torre de Manila would not have reached this point if the company did not get the necessary approval to proceed with it.

—THERESA PILI-NISPEROS, Gagalangin, Tondo, Manila