Despite city council order: Cell towers still standing in Apas

CEBU, Philippines- Two months had lapsed but the cell towers that the Cebu City Council ordered removed remain standing in Barangay Apas as of yesterday.

This after Mayor Michael Rama has not issued the order needed to remove the cell towers owned by Sun Cellular and Globe Telecom despite the earlier revocation of their special use permit by the City Council.

The council earlier gave the two telecom companies two months to remove their towers because of the complaints from the residents.

Rama said he has yet to meet with the barangay officials, residents and the telecom officials to discuss the matter. Rama said he will not make a decision until he is able to meet all the parties concerned.

 “I would even want to call a meeting, hopefully, when I come back,” said Rama before he flew to Manila yesterday to attend the State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino III.

“If the direction really is to implement (the removal of cell sites), then that order must be implemented but I need to have a last speech hearing from all,” Rama said.

The mayor explained that he needs to know all the underlying details on issue before making any decision.

“The mayor will always be at the middle of looking at it so that we will be able to see the macro and then will also be going down to submit and submerge and do some fathoming so that we will be able to see the micro. So, we will be seeing it and we will be looking it on that dimension,” he said.

The City Council approved a resolution on May 27 revoking the special use permit given to the telecom companies. The telcos were gi-ven two months, which expired yesterday, to remove the towers.

The telecom firms, however, sought reconsideration from the city government.

But Barangay Captain Ramil Ayuman said the city government can go ahead in the implementation of the council’s order unless a temporary restraining order is issued by the Regional Trial Court.

Dr. Porponio Lapa Jr., president of the Calvary Hills Apas Residents’ Organization, vowed to continue to fight until the towers are removed.

He said the telecom companies committed a “legal defect” in building the towers because there was no proper consultation among the residents.

“There was a legal flaw and it was only discovered by the City Council lately when they saw that the telecom firms has no documents to show that there was a consultation or conscience to the residents, that is the time they decided to revoke the permit to operate,” he said.

The residents petitioned for the removal of the towers following reports of at least 25 cancer-related deaths in the area in the past 15 years.

They blamed the radiation emitted from the towers for the deaths.  (FREEMAN)