Campaign against illegal structures, Rama challenges barangay officials

CEBU, Philippines - Mayor Michael Rama said the filing of criminal and administrative charges against him and other Cebu City officials for conducting clearing operations against the illegal structures along the Mahiga Creek had prompted the City Hall’s clearing team to slow down their activities.  

Rama explained that it is the main reason why the clearing operations against the illegal structures in the creeks and waterways in different places of Cebu City had been suspended because the concerned clearing teams were afraid that they would face additional charges.

The owners of those houses along Mahiga Creek, which were demolished upon the order of the mayor, had recently filed criminal and administrative charges before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas, aside from the civil case that they had filed before the Regional Trial Court (RTC).

Rama earlier vowed to clear the illegal structures along the Lahing-Lahing Creek in Barangay Mabolo which was blamed for the narrowing waterways. The illegal structures along the creek is also said to be one of the reasons why during heavy rains, floodwaters go very deep.

Rama challenged barangay officials to be active in the campaign against illegal structures in their respective areas because there is an existing ordinance that empowers them to do so.

The mayor recalled that when he inspected the Lahing-Lahing Creek a few months ago, he saw several illegal structures constructed even up to the middle of what used to be a wide creek.

“Kon tan-awon nimo ang sapa gikan sa bukid, lapad kaayo apan anam-anam kini nga magkagamay inig-abot na dinhi sa ubos. Natural nga maglunop g’yud bisan unsa pa kanindot ang atong drainage systems, (The creek flows wide from the mountain area but it narrows in the lower areas. It is but natural for the area to be flooded no matter how perfect our drainage systems are)” the mayor explained.

Cebu City experienced a heavy downpour at 2 p.m. yesterday, but even if the rain only lasted for about an hour, several streets in the downtown area were flooded with rainwaters rising up to waistline level along Manalili and Legaspi Streets and knee-deep along D. Jakosalem Street.

According to the mayor, one of the best things that the people will do is to spare time to go to churches and pray to Santo Niño that Cebu City will be spared from future calamities.

Rama again criticized the City Council for reducing the P11.7 billion budget that he proposed for this year to only P5.3 billion and allocated only P100 million for anti-flood control projects.

The group which Rama earlier formed composed of representatives from the private sector, led by Engr. Pedro Adonis Compendio, said the very pressing problem of flooding in the city is in population growth, both in people and structures, and the effects of the climate change.

Compendio earlier said that because of about a million of houses and buildings that are constructed in the city, the rainwater could no longer seep into the soil. –(FREEMAN)