Cebu City Vice Mayor warns 51 demolitions expected soon

CEBU, Philippines - More bad news for informal settlers in Cebu City.

Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella said 51 more demolitions of homes in private lots are expected to be implemented anytime soon, following a series of court-ordered destruction of houses in four barangays of the city early this month.

The city’s Task Force Land for the Landless chairperson made the revelation after their second meeting last Friday.

In just a span of eight days, houses were torn down in barangays Apas (March 4); sitio Warwick-Barracks, Ermita (March 3), Tejero (March 10) and Carreta (March 11) after the court ordered their demolition.

The task force, which Mayor Michael Rama created, is expected to conduct an inventory of city-owned lots; formulate policies; and lobby for the formulation of statutes or legislations protecting residents before higher authorities.

It was formed after the demolition of houses inside lots 942 and 947 in sitio San Miguel, Apas on March 4.

Creation of the task force was in line with the provision of Republic Act 7279 (the Urban Development Housing Act-UDHA of 1992), which requires “all city and municipal governments to conduct an inventory of all lands within their respective localities, including residential lands; government-owned lands, whether owned by the National government or any of its subdivisions; instrumentalities or agencies, including government-owned or controlled corporations and their subsidiaries; unregistered or abandoned and idle lands.”

“There are 51 cases for demolition already and all are in private lots,” Labella said.

The vice mayor, a lawyer, pointed out that any local government unit, therefore, has the “right and jurisdiction” to intervene during such predicament, whether it involves a private property or a public property and even when the LGU that is not a party to the case, as the RA 7279 mandates the involvement of the government offices.

“The city has to intervene; even if we like it or not, even if the city is not a nominal party.  There is a provision under the law (RA 7279) that mandates the LGU to participate and get involved,” he said.

Rama and Atty. Jade Ponce, City Land Management Council chairman, earlier said the Cebu City Government was not properly informed of the recent demolitions, especially in barangays Apas and Carreta, giving them lack of time to intervene and to prepare for relocation sites for affected residents.   The city does not want it to happen again, with Labella saying they are now taking note of future demolitions.

“We are in the process of collating all of them (51 demolition cases) and this is a long process. Also, now we are checking all the lands belonging to the city, the province and the republic of the Philippines,” he added.

Labella said the demolitions that occurred the past days failed to comply with the UDHA law provision mandating that the affected residents must have a relocation site or that they get compensated equivalent to a 60-day minimum wage.

“In cases of eviction or demolition pursuant to a court order involving underprivileged and homeless citizens, relocation site (whether temporary or permanent) shall be undertaken by the local government concerned and the National Housing Authority, with the assistance of other agencies, within 45 days from service of notice of final judgment by the court,” read RA 7279.

“Should relocation not be possible within the said period, financial assistance in the amount equivalent to the prevailing minimum wage multiplied by 60 days shall be extended to the affected by the LGU concerned,” it added.

Labella said the task force has agreed to bring the matter to the judiciary department to initiate a dialogue with the Municipal Trial Court in Cities executive judge “on how to reconcile the cases.”

He said this move should not be construed as challenging the decisions of  the judiciary; rather, it is meant  to iron things out on “how we could apply the provision of UDHA, which is a substantive law, on the matter of demolition even on private lots.”—/RHM (FREEMAN)