Fort Boni eviction almost complete

The Navy has almost completed its eviction of overstaying retired servicemen from their living quarters at the Fort Bonifacio Naval Station in Taguig City.

After eviction notices were served to 115 overstaying occupants, a good number of the retired enlisted personnel and their families decided to leave voluntarily.

The Navy has mobilized 2,000 officers and men to assist the retired servicemen to pack up and transport their belongings to their new homes.

Those who volunteered to leave were provided with military trucks to transport their belongings anywhere in Luzon.

Navy spokesman Capt. Geronimo Malabanan said Navy eviction operations are almost over with only 41 overstaying retired junior officers still occupying the Junior Officers Quarters (JOQ) remaining.

"The Navy leadership will exert efforts to evict unauthorized personnel before the weekend is over," Malabanan said. "Two weeks ago, 56 retired senior officers were evicted from the Navy Village and 41 overstaying officers are set to be evicted from the Junior Officers Quarters."

The 115 retired Navy servicemen were served with the final notice of eviction after seven of them were able to secure a court injunction.

Malabanan defended the eviction, notwithstanding the status quo order by the court as obtained by the seven retired enlisted men.

Malabanan explained the status quo order does not involve the Navy top brass.

"Careful perusal of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 66 status quo order reveals that it only involved the Naval Enlisted Housing Association Inc. (NEHAI), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Village Association Inc. (AFPVAI) and not the Philippine Navy," Malabanan pointed out.

Hence, the eviction operation at the MEQ was justified and was allowed to push through.

The forced eviction came after Navy top brass succeeded in driving out 56 retired officers overstaying in their quarters at the 20-hectare housing project in Fort Bonifacio Naval Station late last month.

Navy chief Vice Admiral Mateo Mayuga had claimed the 115 overstaying retired enlisted personnel were simply following the example set by retired officers when they formed a group to question the eviction order against them.