TENSION marred the demolition of houses in Sitio Hayco Railways, Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City yesterday after the court ordered the resumption of clearing works in the area.
More than a hundred structures were the subject of the demolition on the lot owned by the Aznar family.
Some of the residents opposed and blocked the members of the demolition team when they started to tear down the houses yesterday morning.
Forty-eight-year-old Delia Bolotano, one of the affected residents, said they did not heed the warning about the clearing works because they don’t have a relocation site.
While the lot is privately owned, the City Government has offered two relocation sites in Barangays Pit-os and Binaliw for the families, said lawyer Collin Rosell, chief of the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP).
Not moving just yet
With a P200 earning per day, Bolotano said leaving in these two areas is additional burden to her.
She works as laundrywoman for a nearby condominium.
“Ang among trabaho naa diri, kada aldaw mi moari nya ang akong sweldo P200 ra ang adlaw, kuwang ra sa plete. Layo among relocation, unya mao nga nagpaugat sa gyud mi kay ang among pangita naa diri. Ang among gusto, maayo ra man among relocation kay di ra man sad mi modukot diri kay kahibaw man mi nga di ni amo ang yuta (We work here, we come here everyday and we’re paid P200 a day, our fare alone will consume that. The relocation site is so far away, that’s why we’re overstaying here. We only want a good relocation since we really don’t have any plan to stay here),” Bolotano told Sun.Star Cebu.
Cleanup
Court sheriffs Lloyd Tagalog and Ediberto Suarin facilitated yesterday’s clearing.
Tagalog said tension arose yesterday because residents insisted that they will stay in the area even if the court has given them enough time to relocate.
He said clearing was first implemented last Feb. 9, but was put on hold after the City made an appeal. The court then reschedule the clearing works after March 31.
“Igo ra man gyud mi nagpatuman sa sugo sa korte (We’re just implementing the court’s aorder),” Tagalog stressed.
Andrea Sarno, 63, opted not to join her neighbors in blocking the demolition team.
Sarno, a City Hall worker assigned at the Cebu City Environmental and Sanitation Enforcement Team, was part of those who availed themselves of a relocation site from DWUP.
She was in the area yesterday to get her remaining things and availed herself of the free ride given by the Aznar family.
“Wala na mi nisukol, ang among hangyo nga mahaluna. Gihatag na man sa DWUP, gi-tabangan man mi sa city sa among relocation (We didn’t resist, we only asked to be settled. The DWUP gave us that, the City helped us relocate),” she said.
Aside from that, she also got P10,000 in financial assistance and housing material assistance , which are under way.