300 cemetery squatters face eviction following drug den raid

Some 300 people who have taken up residence inside the Manila North Cemetery (MNC) might be evicted sooner than expected after elements of the Manila Police District (MPD) raided a suspected drug den and seized some 45 plastic sachets of shabu worth P200,000 the other day.

Donato Antolin, a verifier at the MNC, said even before Monday’s raid, their office had been contemplating on removing the illegal settlers from the cemetery.

"Our office has been planning to remove them. But after last Monday’s raid, the plan might happen sooner," Antolin said.

The management has been receiving complaints because many of these informal settlers have occupied the mausoleums.

The removal of the illegal settlers had been a project of MNC officer-in-charge Jorge Amante when he assumed the post last year.

"But this task is easier said than done. We need to coordinate with the City Engineering Office and the demolition team, and get a court order," Antolin said.

He is also unsure if they would have to first provide a relocation site before they can evict families.

Antolin pointed out that when he was assigned at the MNC in 1992, there were already people living inside the cemetery.

"I think that in 1987, the government offered a relocation area to those who were occupying the mausoleum," he said.

During Monday’s raid, lawmen arrested five persons who allegedly served as maintainers of the hidden drug den that could only be accessed through a maze of tombs.

However, the alleged drug den owners, identified as a certain Bong and Boy Zapanta escaped during the police operation.

The raiders were armed with two search warrants when they entered the suspected drug den located on 29th street inside the MNC.

The raiders had to use an acetylene torch and a bolt cutter to gain entry as the drug den had a steel door and three surveillance cameras.

During the operation, police also confiscated 38 hand-rolled pieces of aluminum foil, four disposable lighters, one transparent glass container, a glass tooter and an improvised burner.