Manila Mayor Isko Moreno plans to construct “hate walls” and “freedom walls” to curb vandalism in government establishments and statues in the nation’s capital.
This, after he conducted an inspection on Tuesday afternoon around Bonifacio Shrine while city hall workers were overlaying asphalt on the park surrounding it.
However, the mayor saw the park’s vandalized walls and other structures.
“It’s going to be a wall where they can express themselves in an artistic manner, or express their beliefs for that matter,” he said.
“I don’t see any joy or happiness that you will receive just messing around or messing up the walls, especially our statues,” he added.
Domagoso said he has yet to launch a crackdown against vandals. However, he said has no plans to hike fines against those who deface public properties.
“Sayang naman ‘yung oras kung puro aresto kami. Baka mas maganda kung makisuyo na lang kami,” he said.
But he warned that he would not go easy on those who would deliberately deface public properties despite his appeal.
“We are firm, don’t get us wrong. We are firm but we are just trying to be diplomatic at the start,” he said.
“I’m not after the penalty. I don’t want to make Manila richer because we keep on penalizing people,” he added. (Erma Edera)
