Wreckers say it’s all work, nothing personal

CEBU, Philippines - Archie Boles, 18, paused for a moment before tearing down the roof of a house in Barangay Apas yesterday.

It was actually the fifth house that Boles and his fellow members  of the demolition team destroyed for the day, but the whole act still bothered him a bit.

“Siyempre malooy man gud ko. Lahi ra pud kung ikaw ang magub-an og balay,” the teenager told The FREEMAN.

Boles, an out-of-school youth, said this is his first time to join a demolition team.

“First time unya daghan pa g’yud dayon nga mga balay ang gub-on. Inig action nako og guba, makahunahuna  ko nga what if mahitabo sad ni nako. Dili lalim oy,” shared Boles.

A resident in a slum area near Cabantan Street in Barangay Luz, Cebu City, he said his also even uncertain of the situation of their own house.

 But the teenager, who has stopped school because of financial constraints, said the money that he would earn eventually motivates him to destroy the houses.

 They were promised to be given P250 each per day’s work. He said he would share his earnings to his parents.

That’s why the wrecking team was disappointed when the demolition has been suspended once again yesterday.

“Basin na unya og di mi mabayran kay wala mi agi,” lamented Aldrin Donal of Barangay Pasil.

The demolition of 157 houses in Sitio San Miguel, which has started since Tuesday but has gone on and off, started at almost 2 p.m. yesterday and was shortly ordered stopped again by the court sheriff.

The Department of Labor and Employment  issued a work stoppage order against sheriff Edilberto Suarin citing violations of the Labor Law or for reportedly hiring a minor in the demolition team.

This was found out after police arrested a 16-year-old wrecking crew who was caught stealing from one of the houses being destroyed last Wednesday.

 Donal, who unlike Boles has been into demolishing houses for years now, clarified he does not like the idea of destroying homes.

 â€œPanginabuhi ra g’yud ning amo, wala’y personalan. Unsaon man na sa pagpangguba namo og balay, makakwarta man mi para sa among pamilya sad,” Donal said.

 The wrecking team was recruited by Ares Nacar, who disclosed that it was Suarin who asked him to look for people that would comprise the demolition  team.

Last Tuesday, the team started destroying house at 2 p.m. and stopped at 3 p.m. as provided in the Urban Development and Housing Act.

On Wednesday, Suarin suspended the demolition for hours following the arrest of the minor. They have so far destroyed five houses as of press time yesterday.

 The wrecking team has to wait patiently again now that the Court issued an order yesterday directing Suarin to stop the demolition until it decides whether or not to grant a temporary restraining order to the 157 affected families.  (FREEMAN)