4 Tejero residents dismantle houses sans relocation site

CEBU, Philippines - Four of the six houses in Barangay Tejero affected by an ongoing drainage project have been voluntarily demolished by its occupants yesterday.

After dismantling their houses, residents now demand from the city government  the financial assistance and relocation site they were promised last Wednesday.

Tejero councilman Garry Lao said the four families who have voluntarily dismantled their structures came to the barangay to complain. He said the residents have no clear relocation since the vacant lot in Sitio Laurente identified as relocation for three families have not been subdivided.

“Nag-ilogay pa sila didto. Unya kay tulo ra man ang bakante, asa man ibutang ang uban?” Lao said.

Raquel Arce, head of the Prevention Restoration Order and Beautification Enhancement (PROBE), said there is an available relocation in another sitio within the barangay.

She also said the financial assistance is still being processed by the Department of Social Welfare and Services.

But Lao said city officials failed to inform the residents that the financial assistance cannot be released immediately.

“Gi-process pa lagi, dapat na nila ipasabot sa mga tawo kay kami man ang gipangitaan,” Lao said.

Lao lamented that the PROBE Team and the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor did not coordinate with the barangay before the clearing was done.

He said he requested Mayor Michael Rama several times to postpone the clearing since there is no clear relocation site yet. Lao said the Mayor  told him there was no order to clear the area yet.

“Kinsa man akong tuhuan, si Mayor or si Arce? Arce should not play as the Mayor,” Lao said.

Arce clarified the PROBE team did not implement a clearing yesterday.

“Wala ta nag-clearing ha. Nag-voluntary demolish sila. Ugma pa ta mu-patuman og clearing,” Arce said yesterday.

There are two houses left standing. Arce said PROBE will dismantle the structures today if the occupants of these two remaining houses will not dismantle their structures today.

“Wala man gud si Konsehal Lao sa among meeting. Kung ni-attend pa lang s’ya, makahibawo siya nga nisugot na ang mga tawo nga muboluntaryo og guba sa ilang mga balay,” Arce said.  (FREEMAN)