Homeless residents demand well-placed relocation

HEARTHLESS TREE.Residents of Barangay Subangdaku who recently lost their homes bring a Christmas tree to the Mandaue City Hall to demand from Mayor Jonas Cortes an ideal relocation site.(CONTRIBUTED FOTO/ALAN TANGCAWAN)

AFTER the tension-filled demolition of their makeshift huts, around 50 residents of a creekside settlement in Sitio Mahayag and Sitio Mahusay, Barangay Subangdaku marched to the Mandaue City Hall and aired their frustrations.

They threatened to camp out in the plaza in front of City Hall until Mayor Jonas Cortes assure them they can build their houses near their livelihood or given a proper relocation site or financial aid.

Speaking on behalf of the Barangay Subangdaku residents, lawyer Aaron Pedrosa of party-list Sanlakas said the residents were not given due process when their homes were demolished last June and last October.

He said notices sent by the City Legal Office only involved owners of dwellings within the three-meter easement of Mahiga Creek, but houses outside the easement had also been torn down.

There should be a separate notice for those living outside the three-meter easement, as well as a separate pre-demolition conference and other processes required before any demolition takes place, Pedrosa told reporters.

Notices

City Legal Officer Giovanni Tianero, in a separate interview, denied that the notices he issued in 2011 and 2014 were only for residents living within the three-meter easement.

He showed reporters two notices, which ask residents living in danger zones in Sitio Mahayag and Sitio Mahusay to vacate the areas.

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Homeless residents demand well-placed relocation