Demolition of houses along Mahiga Creek reset

CEBU, Philippines - Informal settlers living beside the Mahiga Creek in Barangay Mabolo can heave a sigh of relief, for now, as Mayor Tomas Osmeña yesterday said the scheduled demolition in the area is suspended until the end of classes due to humanitarian reasons.

Vicente Mercado, head of the Squatters Prevention Encroachment Elimination Division (SPEED), said Mabolo barangay captain Rey Ompoc informed him that the demolition of the illegal structures is suspended until the elections next year.

However, when The FREEMAN verified this with Osmeña during his press conference yesterday, the mayor said that the suspension of the demolition would only be up to April because the classes will end in March, two months before the May elections.

City Hall had warned the residents several times to voluntarily vacate the area, which is considered a “danger zone,” for their own safety but these warnings have seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

Aside from the risk of being washed out during heavy floods, the illegal structures also allegedly impede the normal flow of water in the creek, thereby becoming one of the main causes of flood.

But while those houses that are located just beside the creek are given until April to vacate, Osmeña said the demolition of the houses that are constructed on the bed of the creek themselves may push through as scheduled. There are more than 30 houses that are illegally constructed within the Mahiga creek.

“As shown in our record, Mahiga creek is the river where squatters are found,” Mercado added.

The demolition of the concerned structures was supposed to be done last week, but Ompoc has requested to suspend it while he was still in Cagayan de Oro City attending a conference.

“Nakasabot mi nga ang pagdiki-diki sa mga opisyal nga mohimo’g lakang batok sa mga squatters, mga sidewalk vendors ug uban pa karong panahona kabahin kini sa ilang kabalaka nga dili na unya sila botahan sa eleksyon,” a SPEED member said.

To recall, SM City management has offered to pay the city P50 million in advance tax, but on condition that part of it would be spent for the development of the Mahiga creek. — Rene U. Borromeo/WAB   (FREEMAN NEWS)