MORE than 100 urban poor in Cebu City will hold a march rally from Plaza Independencia to downtown Colon today to oppose some court-ordered demolitions in the city.
They are also against the refiling of the proposed ordinance seeking to have a one-year moratorium on City Hall-initiated demolitions.
Even without a permit to hold a rally, the assembly will push through today, said Evangeline Abejo of the Alliance of National Urban Poor Assembly (ANUPA) Party list, the lead convenor of the activity.
“Di na mi mangayo ug permit kay peaceful march ra man ni amo, naa sa atong tawhanong katungod nga kung peaceful assembly, pwede ra (We will not ask for a permit because it will be a peaceful march. We have a right to peaceful assembly),” she said.
The protest march will start at 10 a.m. today. A short program will be held once the group reaches Colon St.
Tolerance
Jonathan Tumulak, chief of operations of the Cebu City Transportation Office, said they will implement maximum tolerance today and will oversee traffic on the route of the rally to prevent any disturbance of the traffic flow.
In an interview yesterday, Abejo said they want to air their sentiments on two pending issues concerning the urban poor sector.
They asked the Cebu City Government, particularly Mayor Michael Rama, to continue promoting the welfare of the less privileged sectors.
She said several court-ordered demolitions were already implemented in the city.
Ideally, before any demolition is carried out, private lot owners should coordinate with the local government and the affected families, Abejo said.
She also said that they do not want the City Council to approve for the third time the proposed ordinance imposing a one-year moratorium on all clearing works that will be undertaken by the City.
Councilor Alvin Dizon, who used to be the chairman of the Council’s committee on housing, authored the proposed measure, which was vetoed twice already.
Dizon, though, has yet to refile the proposed moratorium ordinance since he still has to consult some urban poor groups.
For today’s rally, Abejo said they are expecting more than 100 people to join since there could groups who might send representatives at the last minute.
Urban poor groups and members of different homeowners from Barangays Lahug, Mabolo, Cogon Pardo and Capitol Site, among others, are expected to join today’s protest rally.
In the past months, demolition orders were implemented in the said barangays, forcing informal settlers out of their homes.