THE City Government’s plan to demolish illegal structures within the Busol watershed this month stays, but officials assured of a “humanized” operation.

Acting Mayor Daniel Farinas said this after meeting with city executives, legislators, and offices concerned on the dismantling plan.

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He said there has been no change in the plan and Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr. has left instructions to stick with the plan.

The City Council last Monday decided to write the acting mayor to hold in abeyance the demolition activities until Mayor Bautista arrives from his week-long trip abroad and meets with National Commission for Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) chairman Eugenio Insigne to thresh out the matter.

Insigne wrote the city officials seeking an audience with the mayor even as he appealed for the suspension of the dismantling operations for humanitarian reasons.

Farinas, however, clarified that despite the City Council’s letter, no order to defer the implementation of the order has been issued so far.

He said the meeting between the mayor and Insigne might push through upon the mayor’s arrival.

Farinas said that while things remain as is, offices concerned are now in the thick of preparations to pursue the operations in accordance with the established demolition procedures of the city.

The City Government through an administrative order issued by the city mayor set the demolition starting July 1 covering 33 structures in three areas of the watershed.

During the meeting, City legal officer Melchor Carlos Rabanes, who is a member of the city anti-squatting task force, assured there is no legal impediment in the implementation of the demolition order.

City Administrator Peter Fianza, also a member of the task force, explained the procedures followed by the committee in facilitating the order. He said they took into consideration the need to “humanize” or temper the effect of demolition on the affected parties.

Councilor Erdolfo Balajadia, council committee on environment protection chair, said the city has to push through with the demolition for the benefit of the greater majority who stand to be affected by the destruction of a watershed that supplies 30 percent of the city’s total water needs.

“The law has to take its course. We should not sacrifice the welfare of the greater number of our constituents and the future generations who will be deprived of a water source over a handful of people who despite government restrictions went out to construct houses in a forest reservation,” Balajadia said.

He said many sectors led by the Baguio Regreening Movement (BRM) support the city’s move.

The BRM led by Bishop Carlito Cenzon has passed a continuing resolution to egg on city authorities to pursue the demolition to protect the critical watershed.

Councilor Nicasio Aliping Jr., council committee on lands chair, expressed preference for a summary demolition “for equal treatment of the law.”

Fianza explained that albeit there are around 900 illegal structures in the watershed, only 33 were scheduled for demolition this month because these cases had been cleared ahead of the others either by court decision or city council recommendations.

He said the remaining cases, some of which are even older than those resolved, are still the subject of unresolved questions and contentions.

He assured that the demolition activities will spare no one in the critical watershed but the dismantling operations will be done by batch as procedures would allow.

As to the squatters’ claim that they are religiously paying tax declaration taxes with the City Government, City Assessor Augustus Medina said the tax payment is their obligation for occupying the lot it would not serve as proof they now own the lot.

According to Engineer Nazita Banez, head of the city demolition team, strategies had been mapped out for the removal of the structures within three days given enough logistics like tools and manpower.

Farinas instructed the city police and the barangays to help out in the demolition activities.

The acting mayor also cautioned residents against buying lots or houses within the watershed.

He said desperate moves like selling the structures will be possible this time, thus residents should exercise caution against such deals.

The city decided to pursue the long-delayed demolition activities after it got the go signal from the Supreme Court, which quashed petitions of the illegal lot occupants. (Aileen P. Refuerzo)