Wednesday, July 16, 2008 Sugbo Homes occupants ‘can still appeal’ demolition
SUGBO Homes occupants who were given until tomorrow to vacate the lots they occupy may still halt the impending demolition of their houses by appealing before the Local Housing Board.
His office, said Cebu City Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) head Danila Gabiano, merely investigated and made its recommendations.
The Squatters Prevention and Encroachment Elimination Division (Speed) issued last Thursday demolition notices to the occupants, sending them into panic.
Gabiano said that 67 belong to the 1321-C Homeowners’ Association, who were original occupants of the lot when the City purchased it in 1997.
He said the housing beneficiaries, the landless and homeless workers of City Hall, cannot legally occupy their allotted spaces because of the 67 settlers.
The order, he said, was meant to drive them to build their homes in the “people’s center” or an open space set aside when the Sugbo Homes subdivision plan was crafted.
At least 23 other occupants who received demolition orders belong to the Veterans’ Drive Homeowners Association Inc., who should also be relocated to the people’s center.
Seven, who are City Hall employees, received demolition orders for constructing their homes without securing building permits.
Around 136 were supposedly issued with demolition orders, but only 97 received theirs last Thursday. The rest will be dealt with differently, as they are plain illegal settlers, or those who are not housing program beneficiaries.
“Diri bag-ohay lang ang presidente sa ilang homeowners, niingon 67 ra kuno gyud sila. Gipangayo-an nako’g master list, kapin sa gatos man (The new president of the homeowners’ association said there were only 67 of them, but when I asked for a master list, there were more than 100),” Gabiana said.
He said that although the 90 occupants are to be transferred to the people’s center, they will still be screened to determine if they are indeed Cebu City residents.
A few homeowners who received demolition orders, however, already wrote to the Local Housing Board, which Mayor Tomas Osmeña heads. (RHM)
