Wednesday, September 03, 2008 Displaced residents seek help of Cortes
AROUND 40 Barangay Tipolo residents of Mandaue City rallied in front of the City Hall yesterday to ask Mayor Jonas Cortes to investigate how the government lot they are occupying became private property.
They gave copies of a council resolution urging Cortes to recover the foreshore land they are occupying, which is titled under the name of Eric and Harry Realty Inc.
The protesters were members of Barangay Tipolo Timberland United Residents Organization (BTTURO), whose houses are scheduled for demolition on Sept. 10.
BTTURO vice president Wilfredo Villanueva said if the demolition pushes through, they will have to stay in the adjacent lot or ask the city for a relocation site.
Housing and Urban Development Office (Hudo) head Francisco Amit talked to protesters at the picket line and assured them he will ask the court to stall the demolition since the affected residents are not among the 16 “successors in interest,” or the ones being charged.
He said he will meet again with BTTURO and barangay officials this Sunday to plan their next move.
During President Arroyo’s State of the Nation Address last July 28, the same organization rallied against Cortes in front of the City Hall. Their houses that time were scheduled for demolition the next day.
Dialogue
Earlier that day, Rep. Nerissa Soon-Ruiz (Cebu, sixth district) scheduled a dialogue between the residents and officials of a realty firm when a demolition order was issued. This prompted residents to hold the rally.
They said Ruiz is planning to build a socialized housing project in the lots they are occupying. But while waiting for the result of the dialogue, they learned that a demolition order was issued.
Cortes interceded. The lot owner granted a 45-day reprieve and the demolition didn’t push through.
As the 45-day reprieve was about to end, the residents were back in the streets demanding an investigation.
When asked what happened to Ruiz’s plan, Villanueva said that if the congresswoman becomes city mayor, she will help residents.
Villanueva said their members are victims of a fire that hit Tipolo fire last July 25. As they reconstructed their houses, a realty firm claimed ownership of the 6,304 square meter lot, said Villanueva.
City Council Resolution 11-594 passed last August 13, urges Cortes to recover the foreshore land of Mandaue City. The land appears to be included in Lot 2892-B-3 located in Tipolo and titled under Eric and Harry Realty, Inc.
The resolution was passed upon BTTURO’s petition before the council.
The protesters even planned to camp out at the city hall grounds yesterday.
But Amit, a lawyer, assured them he will ask the court to stop the demolition. (OCP)
