Demolition of centuries-old town hall triggers mass protest
LOAY, Bohol — Residents of this heritage town staged a mass protest rally and demanded an explanation from their mayor, who had ordered the demolition of a centuries- old town hall, believed to be a national cultural heritage.
At least some 300 concerned citizens of Loay, 23 kilometers east of capital city Tagbilaran, held a peaceful rally in front of the demolished town hall Tuesday. Loay, located at the mouth of the worldfamous Loboc River, separated from its mother town, Loboc, in 1795.
They brandished placards containing messages for Loay Mayor Rosemarie Lim-Imboy.
One of the placards read “Respect R.A. 10066,” or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009.
Another placard states “Conserve Our Cultural Heritage Forever.”
A protester, Liberty Lumain alleged that Imboy, who was not born in Loay, does not respect the legacy of those who had built the town hall in the 1800s.
“There was no public consultation when the mayor ordered the demolition of our town hall,” Lumain told the Manila Bulletin.
“She acted as if it were her private property,” Lumain added.
A November 10, 2014 town council resolution, authored by Loay councilor Rochelle Brigitte Imboy, the mayor’s daughter, authorized the mayor to “rehabilitate” the municipal hall.
On November 17, 2014 another resolution was passed authorizing the mayor to demolish the town hall.
Steven Lim, a businessman and Loay resident, questioned the timing of the demolition.
“Is she looking for funding for this election?” Lim asked during an interview.
Imboy, now on her third and last term as mayor, is running as Bohol governor against the incumbent, lawyer Edgar M. Chatto.
“Mayor Imboy cannot just demolish anything in this town without consulting the people of Loay, the National Museum, the National Historical Institute and other government agencies tasked to preserve our national cultural heritage,” Lim said.
He also questioned the manner of the bidding of the project in which R32 million has been allocated from the Bohol Earthquake Assistance (BEA) fund for the construction of a new Loay town hall.