Housing group in Apas asks city to oust "illegal occupants"

Officials of a city-accredited housing group, which members are occupants of a lot within the Central Command area in barangay Apas, yesterday asked the city government to serve and implement the eviction notice against members of another group, which were deemed "illegal occupants" already.

Marlene Paracueles, of the Alliance of Barangay Apas Community Association, told reporters in a press conference that the city's local inter-agency committee, or LIAC, should now evict the residents belonging to the CentCom Families of Active and Retired Military Personnel/Civilian Homeowners Association.

Members of the two groups have been occupying the 32.27-hectare property, which President Gloria Arroyo declared, via Presidential Proclamation No. 409 in June 2003, as a site for socialized housing.

LIAC, headed by Mayor Tomas Osmeña, has so far accredited only the ABACA group granting its members the legal right to reside in the place. Based also on the 2001 survey, only about 800 were listed as urban poor beneficiaries to the property, most of who belong to ABACA.

But Paracueles complained that despite the "illegal" status of the other group, which started with only 30 members in March 2003, its number of "illegal occupants" rose to 252, making it imperative now to impose the eviction.

The other group meanwhile claimed that its members were already registered with the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor but Paracueles questioned the inclusion because they were not even in the 2001 list of urban poor beneficiaries.

PCUP's Pastor Lao, however, clarified that the PCUP registration did not mean the members of the group become automatically beneficiaries of the socialized housing program because they still have to undergo screening and evaluation of the LIAC. -

Cristina C. Birondo