Swiss group calls for halt to eviction of Baclaran Muslims

MANILA, Philippines - An international human rights organization is urging the government to stop the eviction of close to 400 Muslim families living near the Grand Mosque in Baclaran, Pasay City.

In a letter addressed to President Arroyo, the Centre on Housing Rights and Evictions (COHRE) raised concerns that “residents of the Baclaran mosque community have had to endure ever worsening living conditions over the years due to successive attempts to force the community off the land.”

“The community has been subject to numerous forced eviction attempts by authorities since 1999, and many community members have already seen their homes destroyed. COHRE has raised concerns about these past eviction drives. Promises to find an adequate relocation site for the community have reportedly never materialized, and residents have conflicting information what – if any – relocation will be provided,” Salih Booker, COHRE Executive Director, said in the letter.

The COHRE, a group based in Geneva, Switzerland, urged the government to continue these negotiations in good faith, and issue a reminder that, in the absence of adequate compensation and relocation arrangements, the eviction of the community would violate Philippine laws as well as international human rights laws.

COHRE said Article 8 of the Constitution explicitly provides that “urban or rural poor dwellers shall not be evicted nor their dwellings demolished, except in accordance with law and in a just and humane manner” and Section 28 of the Urban Development Housing Act states that “eviction or demolition as a practice shall be discouraged” and may only be allowed under certain requirements, including “adequate consultations … with the duly designated representatives of the families to be resettled,” and “adequate relocation.”

Booker said the government should consult with residents to formulate a plan to upgrade the site rather than have them relocated.

Approximately 370 families are living on the reclaimed land near the Baclaran church. The community has been living on the land since 1992 and the mosque was built in 1994. The reclaimed land is reportedly earmarked for the development of luxury housing and commercial establishments, including a casino.

Earlier, Muslims in the area said they will turn their community into a war zone if the government pushes through with its plan to demolish the mosque.

The Urban Poor Associates, a group helping the Muslim families, said ABA AKO party-list Rep. Leonardo Montemayor sent a letter to Andrea Domingo, general manager of the Philippine Reclamation Authority to ask the PRA’s position regarding the occupancy status of Muslims on the reclaimed property. The objective is to arrive at a peaceful and amicable solution to the problem.

Domingo, however, was unavailable for comment yesterday. – Rhodina Villanueva