Friday, February 01, 2008 Residents to mayor: Relocation before demolition
OVER a hundred illegal occupants of a private lot in Barangay Punta Engaño in Lapu Lapu City have appealed for a relocation site before the City Government evicts them.
The occupants asked Mayor Arturo Radaza to relocate them before the City executes the order to demolish their houses.
The group, whose houses stand on a private lot owned by a businessman in Sitio Lupa, was earlier assured of a relocation site in Barangay Canjulao, but the identified area is still undeveloped.
Guarantee
A spokesperson for the group, who requested not to be named, said they were threatened with a demolition by City Hall twice before the barangay elections without guarantee that they will be relocated.
“Ang amo unta naa mi peace of mind. Human na man ang election service napod (Our concern is to have peace of mind. The election is over, they should now provide services),” she said.
Former Barangay Captain Angel Rodriguez said the affected families would have been among the 500 families to benefit from the 23.6-hectare socialized housing project that Sta. Lucia Realty and Development Inc. had offered as a joint undertaking with the City early last year.
Suspended
The memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the joint venture was signed by former Vice Mayor Norma Patalinjug while she was acting mayor when Radaza was suspended.
Suspension
The office of the Ombudsman-Visayas ordered Radaza’s suspension last year in relation to the overpriced lampposts.
The City Council has yet to ratify the MOA.
Among other provisions, the MOA specified that the City would shoulder the P3 million needed for the acquisition of the property while Sta. Lucia would shoulder P2.9 million.
“The inaction of the City on ratifying and implementing the MOA shows the present administration’s anti-poor stand,” the spokesperson said. (AIV)
