Political will, not politics

There was nothing new when violence broke out in last week’s eviction of squatters, or rather informal settlers as the politically correct term is, at the Silverio Compound on A. Santos Avenue (formerly Sucat Road) in Parañaque City. Defiant and armed with improvised armaments from rocks to Molotov cocktail, men and women, young and old, who have been illegally occupying the Silverio Compound, simply refused to respect the laws of the land.

After hours of standoff and traffic on both sides of the main road standing still, rocks started raining down on the policemen, igniting a battle at the “O.K. Corral.” When the dust settled, one resident lay dead with his skull crashed while scores were injured, including policemen.

Last Friday, the Parañaque City prosecutor’s office ordered the release of 16 of the 30 people arrested for allegedly attacking the police. Those released were charged with disobedience or violation of Article 151 of the Revised Penal Code. Eleven of them have to stay in jail because they were also charged with illegal possession of explosive materials, a non-bailable offense. Three were charged with illegal possession of firearm, while one has a pending estafa case.

Four of the 30 people who allegedly attacked the police officers were identified as “outsiders,” according to police reports. It is not unusual though for some outsiders or non-residents to join in attacking demolition teams. If there are “professional squatters,” there are also “professional hecklers” to fire things up in demolitions.

Parañaque City Mayor Florencio Bernabe later explained that the demolition team was deployed to Sliverio Compound last April 23 to supposedly tear down only the flea market there. According to Bernabe, the city government is preparing a multi-story building in the area where the residents would be the first ones qualified to get low-cost housing units.

It was not clear though if there was any notice of eviction issued prior to the incident. But since it involved enforcement of a local ordinance, such notice may not be necessary because precisely these flea market structures were illegal and therefore subject to lawful demolition.

Apparently, however, the residents knew about it beforehand as they barricaded the area long before the demolition team arrived. With rocks and improvised missiles in their hands, the residents refused to let anyone in at all costs.

They fought it out with the law enforcers to stop a court-issued eviction order to give way to the rightful private owner to use the property. But what emboldened these people to attack the law enforcers?

From reports fielded by media, local politicians were seen in the area along with some representatives of left-leaning activist groups. Specifically identified as initially present in the area was Parañaque City Rep. Edwin Olivarez whose congressional district covers the Silverio Compound. Nothing was heard from Olivarez when the violence turned full steam until it was over and done with.

And even up to now, there’s still no word from Olivarez. Ironically, Olivarez’s face is plastered on big billboards all over the city, claiming this and that public works project as his. He is rumored to be eyeing the mayorship of Parañaque City as Bernabe winds down his third and last term in office. From the political grapevine, Bernabe is reportedly planning to run for Congress with Parañaque City second district Rep. Roilo Golez as his mayoral candidate.

With the midterm elections in May 2013 just around the corner, political grandstanding will be the order of the day, not the rule of law.

Local politicians, most especially, would do every political trick to earn brownie points. They would gloss over what is legal and lawful for the more populist stance that would get them voted into office.

Certainly, there are local politicians who have the political will to uphold what is just, legal and lawful. This we have seen in the young leadership of Makati City Mayor Junjun Binay when he stood his ground against the meddling by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in his problem with informal settlers.

It was also in late April last year when violence marred the demolition at the Laperal Compound in Barangay Guadalupe Viejo. Riot erupted when residents in the fire-razed area clashed with members of the demolition team from the Makati City Hall and at least 18 people were hurt.

Binay was going after syndicates charging rent at the Laperal Compound, the same groups who had egged the residents to barricade the compound and fight the demolition team. He ordered the clearing of the area after fire razed it two weeks earlier. Hence, it was declared a danger zone, which meant residents were prohibited from returning to the area. The Makati City government had approved a P20-million fund for the relocation of and financial assistance for the affected residents.

Stepping into the scene after the violent clearing operation in that area, DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo ended up in a word war with Binay. Robredo insisted that the Makati mayor should have exhausted all peaceful solutions like first holding dialogues before any demolition could take place. Binay argued that some interest groups were already exploiting the dialogues.

Déjà vu. Robredo was again mouthing the same line against the Parañaque City mayor following the Silverio Compound incident last week. Himself a former mayor of Naga City, Robredo ordered police and local government executives to put on hold all planned demolitions in areas where informal settlers reside while the DILG clarifies policies and the processes to be followed.

The DILG secretary is not helping at all with that kind of directive. The laws are there and they must be enforced, no ifs or buts. Not unless Robredo wants to go back to politics and also run in next year’s elections.

The ranks of the urban poor, largely coming from these informal settlers, are the most vulnerable and gullible to this kind of politicians. Political will, not politics, is what will protect these vulnerable groups.