2015 August 10, 6:16pm By MARK MERUEÑAS, GMA News Leave the building be. This was DMCI Homes' response as it thumbed down several proposals to alter the facade of the 49-storey Torre de Manila to prevent it from marring the visual corridor of the Rizal Monument in Luneta. At a media conference in Manila, DMCI lawyer Roberto Dio said there are currently no formal negotiations between the property developer and any party for "remedial measures" to address issues on the condominium's aesthetics or vista lines in relation to the Rizal monument. If ever there would be proposals, however, the lawyer said the company would probably be not open to any of them, saying the firm cannot please everybody. "If we try to ameliorate the situation by addressing the concerns of one party, we'll encounter the concerns of other parties. 'Yan ang situation natin," said Dio. "Assuming that we address the concerns of the Knights of Rizal, pumayag sila na i-change ang facade, what other entity will file a case before another court? Wala nang katapusan yan kung nagreklamo yan," he added. The Knights of Rizal had filed a petition at the Supreme Court for a temporary restraining order against the construction of the condominium in September 2014. The high court granted it on June 16. The lawyer cited a suggestion to construct a "glass curtain wall" that would create a mirror-like effect that would reflect the Luneta Park. Unit owners won't want a 'glass wall' Dio said such a glass wall would be put to waste because another building could anyway soon rise on the site of the former Jai Alai building, right in front of the Torre de Manila. "Remember that this property [Torre] is right behind the Jai Alai, right? Who is the owner of the Jai Alai property? This is not us. There will be another building there," said Dio. "The only reason everyone is focused on Torre de Manila is because the owner of the Jai Alai building has not yet built its own construction there," he added. The Supreme Court had originally intended to build the Manila Hall of Justice on the Jai Alai property. This plan was shelved, and the building is now set to be erected instead on the old GSIS Building along Antonio Villegas, near the Arroceros Forest Park. "So kung nauna iyon [Hall of Justice], I don't know, wala siguro tayong issue... If that had been constructed, it would be on the same level as Torre de Manila, only on the left side. If we put there a mirror... just to address the comments of the Knights of Rizal, it won't serve its purpose the moment the building in front of it is constructed," Dio said. Besides, Dio added, the 800 people who have bought units in the Torre de Manila would most likely oppose the idea of altering the condominium's facade. "I don't think they will agree to a change in the design of the building at this point," he said. Dio also allayed fears that the building's facade could be used to mount huge billboards that would ruin the Luneta backdrop. During the first SC oral arguments on the issue, the lawyer of petitioner Knight of Rizal showed to justices an artist rendering of the building with a huge advertisement for a liquor. "We consulted our client [DMCI], and they said it could not be done because the facade of the building is not flat. The facade of the building has a lot of balconies," said Dio. "If you see the picture of the facade, there are five or six openings. Ventilation actually iyon. It would be physically impossible to put an advertisement poster there," he added. Instead of altering the building's facade, the DMCI has actually instead offered to plant trees around the Luneta Park, especially at the rear end to "protect the view" of the Rizal Monument. The property developer's suggestion however was shot down by the Rizal Park management. "The DMCI actually wrote a letter... But the management of the Rizal Park, there is a government agency that manages the Rizal Park, objected to the idea. Ayaw nila, eh," said Dio. DMCI: We're not vindictive Meanwhile, the DMCI clarified it was not trying to seek revenge when it lodged a P27-million damages suit against the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) last February. The company said it was merely trying to prove a point and standing by its principle when it opposed the NCCA's cease and desist order against the continued construction at the tower. "It is not the corporate policy of DMCI to be vindictive. The reason we asked for a claim against the NCCA is a matter of principle," said Dio. "When we filed [the claim, we explained that] the NCCA went overboard in issuing the CDO," he added. The DMCI said the NCCA did not have authority to stop the firm from building the condominium, since it sits on private land. The firm also said the CDO deprived it of the beneficial use of its property, resulting in financial losses. — BM, GMA News - See more at: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/532341/news/nation/dmci-opposed-to-altering-torre-de-manila-s-facade#sthash.9dNAg5Ou.dpuf