Squatters vow to junk Vicencio

Urban poor leaders yesterday said that Malabon squatters are ready to unseat Mayor Amado "Boy" Vicencio if he continues to be indifferent to their plight.

Peter Villaseñor, adviser of the Pederasyon ng mga Maralita sa Letre at Catmon (Pedmalac), told The STAR that the squatter-residents would pressure Vicencio to impose a moratorium on shanty demolition in Malabon.

"About 10,000 families have already been displaced in just a year," Villaseñor said in Filipino.

Some of the residents had been relocated to Towerville in Norzagaray, Bulacan, but majority of those displaced had no relocation, he added.

Around 500 squatter residents picketed the municipal building Monday and blamed Vicencio for allowing the owner of a private property in Letre to demolish some 170 houses last week despite an agreement to allow them until April 5 to relocate.

"They had no choice but to put up shanties made up of light materials on the road island in Letre," Villaseñor said.

Eddie Bercilla, Pedmalac chair, added that the squatter residents would not hesitate to oust Vicencio for his seeming lack of concern for them.

"We vow to hold another EDSA if only to prevent Vicencio from abusing the squatters and making it appear he’s innocent," Bercilla said.

Moreover, he emphasized that Vicencio stands to lose 16,000 to 18,000 voters in the coming elections. Vicencio is running for a third term in office.

He added that the squatter residents would set up tents right in front of the municipal hall if Vicencio "wouldn’t do anything about the problem."

Bercilla maintained that the demolition was illegal since there was no relocation provided for the families.

He likewise assailed the absence of a 30-day notice prior to the demolition, the lack of financial aid, and the absence of a local official to facilitate the demolition.

He added that the ongoing CAMANAVA megadike project has displaced over 7,000 squatter families all over Malabon.

There was also displacement in Catmon and Letre when the Sucol Creek was cleaned up for the national project.

Villaseñor said the urban poor are not against the megadike project. However, Vicencio should follow up the guidelines stated in Republic Act (RA) 7279, such as holding negotiations with the affected families and providing financial assistance.

Both Bercilla and Villaseñor assailed the mayor for breaking a "covenant" he made with the urban poor for a moratorium on demolition and that the municipal government would provide resettlement for the squatter residents.

"We had a covenant with Vicencio at the start of his term regarding the squatter problem but he failed us," Bercilla said. – Nikko Dizon