THE Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) warned politicians and local officials not to meddle in the relocation of informal settlers living along waterways and other areas classified as “danger zones” saying they will not hesitate to go to the Supreme Court (SC) if they prevented the agency from doing its work.

MMDA Chief Legal Counsel and concurrent assistant general manager for operations Emmanuel de Castro said it is no secret that informal settlers and their supporters sometimes asked their congressmen and local officials to intervene on their behalf to prevent the removal of their shanties and other illegal structures even if it is located along danger zones.

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The removal of informal settlers living along waterways has gained greater support following the heavy flooding brought by typhoon “Ondoy” last September resulting to the death of hundreds of persons and billions of pesos worth of damages in infrastructure.

De Castro said the recent SC ruling has boosted the MMDA’s capability to do its job and at the same time giving informal settlers enough time to relocate.

The High Court ruled late last month that the MMDA has the authority to dismantle illegal structures that contribute to the pollution of Manila Bay but it cannot implement summary eviction of informal settlers without due notice.

The Court said that while MMDA’s zeal in improving Manila’s drainage system and water bodies is laudable, it should also comply with the requirements of Republic Act (RA) 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992, and accord due process to thousands of families that will be displaced in order to rehabilitate Manila Bay.

De Castro said the MMDA has asked the SC to allow it to publish notices on the eviction of informal settlers on the media.

MMDA chairman Bayani Fernando echoed De Castro’s statement saying that residents of the communities slated for relocation sometimes refused to receive the notice informing them of their eviction or tear it when agency personnel posted it near their areas.

“We do give notices contrary to the accusations of those criticizing us. The problem is many of them do not accept the notices,” Fernando said.

If he had his way, the MMDA chief said he would do away with issuing notices to informal settlers but said he respect and will comply with
the SC directive. 

The MMDA said there are at least 546,000 squatter families or roughly three million people in Metro Manila. Of the total, 73.29 percent or 399,110 families are illegally occupying private and government-owned lands.

Another 6.46 percent or 35,198 are in areas affected by government priority projects, while 19.83 percent or 107,997 are living in danger areas, such as along creeks and other waterways. 

The agency has proposed the construction of condo-type housing units for informal settlers or squatters, saying it would maximize limited space and resources while at the same time, ensuring the safety of residents in time of flooding and calamities.

“Under the proposed scheme the government will utilize all existing government and private lands to build medium-rise housing units to accommodate the thousands of squatter families that are living along the waterways and other areas classified as “danger zone,” Fernando explained.

“High-rise buildings also means occupying less land than single-storey ones or providing a relocation area,” he further said. (AH/Sunnex)