60 overstaying Navy personnel to leave Fort Boni in two days

Beating the seven-day deadline for them to vacate their quarters, more than 60 overstaying retired Navy personnel have signified their intention to leave the Fort Bonifacio Naval Station in Taguig City.

Navy spokesman Capt. Geronimo Malabanan said that as of Monday, over 60 personnel had already requested M-35 military transport trucks to help haul their belongings within and outside Metro Manila.

"The commander of the Bonifacio Naval Station who signed the eviction notices issued last Thursday said his office has been swamped by requests from former Navy enlisted personnel for M-35 trucks," Malabanan said in a press statement.

The scheduled eviction of the overstaying occupants of the naval housing at Fort Bonifacio came only days after the forcible eviction of 56 retired senior Navy officers from their quarters.

As of Monday, Malabanan said two occupants of the Navy’s Married Enlisted Personnel Quarters (MEQ) had already left, while six others were packing their things to beat the Friday deadline for them to vacate the premises.

Malabanan said all occupants of the MEQ are members of the Navy Enlisted Homeowners Association Inc. (NEHAI), which was organized in 1992 by both active and retired personnel.

The MEQ has a total of 225 housing units intended for the Navy’s active enlisted personnel.

Malabanan said at present, there are 103 active personnel and 122 units listed under the names of retired personnel, seven of whom are members of the Coast Guard, while eight are deceased.

However, only 115 were served eviction notices as the seven overstaying personnel had earlier obtained a court injunction, he added.

Malabanan said 1,300 Navy and Marines personnel under the Navy’s Task Force Balik Bahay would implement the eviction order issued by Navy chief Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga.

Malabanan said in a resolution signed on May 24, 2006, Rear Adm. Abraham Abesamis, Navy Vice Commander and Navy Housing Board chairman, said unauthorized personnel were depriving enlisted personnel in the active service of their housing privileges.

Malabanan said NEHAI members have violated their contracts of occupancy, which do not grant retired personnel lifetime entitlement to the quarters, but end when they retire from the active military service.

The 115 overstaying personnel at MEQ also reportedly have unpaid electric, water and rental bills in the amount of P6,519.005.80, he added.

Malabanan said the Navy has promised that transportation will be provided for the overstaying personnel.

The Navy is also coordinating with the Department of Social Welfare and Development to make available the agency’s "Balik Probinsya Program," he added.