Displaced settlers march into city

CEBU, Philippines - Some 34 settlers in Sitio Mahayag, Barangay Subangdaku, Mandaue City marched yesterday afternoon towards the City Hall to protest the continued demolition of their houses.

Accompanied by militant group Sanlakas, the affected families were bringing along with them cauldrons, dining plates, Christmas tree, among others, as they planned to temporarily stay in front of the City Hall after they lost their homes to the city demolition team.

Before their march yesterday afternoon, however, tension already erupted at the demolition site early morning when the families reportedly started throwing stones and iced water at members of the demolition team and the police when the "clearing operation" was implemented.

Two women from the residents' camp were wounded in the head: one was hit by a tear gas tube allegedly thrown by police from a distance and another allegedly hit by a police's stick. 

Lolita Felicano, 57, was standing along their barricades to prevent the demolition team from entering the entrance into Sitio Mahayag when she alleged that a smoke canister was thrown by the police on them.

She further claimed somebody from her neighbors took the tear gas and threw it back to the Crowd Dispersal Management personnel led by Police Chief Inspector Miguel Andeza, ground commander and chief of Subangdaku Police Station.

Andeza denied the tear gas was thrown from their side saying instead that it came from the residents.

During the clash between the residents and the demolition team, Senior Fire Officer 1 Cipriano Codilla, who manned the personnel from the fire truck, was given signal by Andeza to pump water to the residents.

But before he could do so, Codilla was hit by a stone in the abdomen allegedly coming from the residents.

Carlo Ybañez, administrative officer of City Legal Office who leads the demolition team to clear Sitio Mahayag from any structures, claimed he was also hit by a stone in his right arm.

Ybañez' team brought with them several trucks to carry the materials from the area and bring them to Barangay Paknaan relocation site and to Sitio Dunggo-an, Barangay Basak where owners can claim them.

Later, lawyer Aaron Pedrosa, national secretary general of Sanlakas, came and questioned the implementation of the clearing operation. 

He cited several alleged violations by police who he said should maintain a certain distance from the subject area.

 "Ang naa sa order nila was to clear the three-meter easement of Mahiga Creek. Naay mga residente nga ilang gi-demolish nga layo na sa three-meter easement," Pedrosa said.

He added that in the pre-demolition conference, residents themselves should have been present, not just their association presidents.

Pedrosa also said the demolition should not have been implemented because there is still a pending case in court.

However, City Legal Officer Giovanni Tianero said the notices of demolition they have been sending to affected structure owners since 2011 did not indicate that structures to be demolished are only those within the three-meter easement zone of the creek.

Tianero said the notices emphasized that the demolition will affect all those who are living in the city's danger zones.

It was also learned from Housing Urban Development Office Chief Tonypet Juanico that 13 of 34 structure owners who joined yesterday's rally do not have records from their office.

Ten of them have signed up for financial assistance and an amount of P17,200 each is about to be released for them soon, while four families are set for relocation to the 6.5-hectare site in Paknaan, Juanico said.

One of them, he added, signed up for a livelihood assistance, three signed a waiver that they wanted their assigned lot at the relocation site to be assumed and one was a professional squatter.

Sitio Mahayag is located near Mahiga Creek, the jurisdictional boundary between the cities of Cebu and Mandaue. (FREEMAN)