Tom, Mary Ann join silent rally

CEBU, Philippines - It’s not all the time that Mayor Tomas R. Osmeña and Lahug barangay captain Mary Ann de los Santos do not agree.

Yesterday, the two political figures shook hands when they met outside the University of the Philippines Visayas Cebu College and met with the urban poor wanting to rebuild their houses at a lot owned by the university, which was recently hit by fire.

Osmeña and de los Santos met at the silent protest rally of about 200 members of different urban poor groups in front of the school’s gate along Gorordo Avenue yesterday morning.

It was de los Santos, who first approached the mayor after he alighted from his vehicle to give his moral support to the fire victims from sitio San Jose, barangay Lahug who were earlier prevented by the UP officials from reconstructing their houses.

“I’m happy that you are here mayor,” said the barangay captain when she approached Osmeña, then, she offered her hand, which the mayor took.

The two clashed in the 2007 elections when de los Santos challenged Osmeña’s re-election bid.

While they shook hands, observers said that Osmeña did not utter a word to de los Santos, but smiled.

Both of them become the center of attraction among the protesters yesterday because it was the first time that Osmeña and de los Santos met with each other after several months of exchanging heated arguments through the media.

But for de los Santos, she is already happy that the city officials are supporting her for the cause of the fire victims.

Other urban poor families from the neighboring barangays were also there.

North District Rep. Raul del Mar, who also attended the protest rally, tried to speak with the UP officials, but unfortunately they were not around at 10 a.m. yesterday.

Anna Coritha Desamparado, president of the UP Student Council, assured that she will bring up the issue of the urban poor families living in the UP lot when the members of the Board of Regents will hold their meeting here on Monday.

Del Mar said he will try to drop by at UP on Monday to talk with the members of the Board of Regents to ask them not to prohibit the fire victims from rebuilding their houses at the site.

City administrator Francisco “Bimbo” Fernandez, who initiated the silent protest rally, said they will hold a similar protest action at UP the time that the Board of Regents will be holding their meeting.

“Kon imbitahon ko nila ug pasultihon sa miting malipay ko og ako silang pasabton nga kon gusto nila nga papahawaon sa ilang yuta ang mga squatters, dili maayo nga himoon kini human masunog ang ilang balay,” Fernandez explained.

He is afraid that it might set as a precedent that the landowners will just burn the houses of the illegal occupants of their lots instead of going to the courts to comply with the provisions of the law if they want to recover their lands from the squatters.

Lawyer Jesus Isidoro Atoc, counsel for the University of the Philippines, explained that the school is looking at ways not to evict the illegal settlers, but they will ask the city to help them to come up with a lease agreement with the occupants.

Of the 18.3 hectares owned by UP in barangay Lahug, five of them have been occupied by the squatters, particularly the ones situated across the Lahug Elementary School.

The Commission on Audit (COA), in its annual audit report of the UP transactions, has recommended that the school should initiate legal proceedings to recover the lot from the illegal occupants.

“Walay pagsupak ang syudad kon paabangon sa UP ang mga hingtungdan nga urban poor families. Basta karon ang among gusto nga masulbad mao nga dili nila koralon ug did-an ang mga nasunogan pagtukod pagbalik og balay,” Fernandez said.

Osmeña said he gave Fernandez the full authority to make decisions to help the affected families and he will just act as “rubber stamp” to him. –/NLQ (THE FREEMAN)