Quezon City Police District director Chief Superintendent Nicasio Radovan, head of the city’s anti-professional squatting task force said a team, led by Superintendent Magtanggol Gatdula, was successful in preventing possible hostilities between a property owner and a group of military personnel occupying three lots.
In a report to the mayor, Radovan said Right Angel Properties coordinated with the task force last Aug. 15, saying the company wanted to buy three lots in Block 65 Phase 8 from the real owner. The lots, however, were at that time occupied by military personnel who claimed to have been swindled into buying property by a professional squatting syndicate.
Aware of hostilities that could erupt between two groups of claimants, Task Force 88 officials told the caretaker of the disputed property to coordinate with them. The following day, six soldiers appeared at a Quezon City police station and identified themselves as the current occupants of the lots.
The soldiers claimed they bought the rights of the lots from a certain Palarca.
The task force arranged a dialogue between the realty firm and the soldiers to resolve the issue.
Eventually, the soldiers agreed to vacate the area in exchange for a minimal amount. The illegal settlers demolished their structures themselves and left the area.
The creation of the anti-squatting task force aims to assist legitimate owners in getting back their property through negotiations and other peaceful methods to avoid conflict.
The task force headed by Radovan is composed of officials of the Urban Poor Affairs Office, Department of Public Safety and other city government departments involved in anti-professional squatting campaign. – Perseus Echeminada