Baguio watershed settlers defy Supreme Court demolition order

BAGUIO CITY , Philippines   – “Professional” informal settlers are now laughing at a Supreme Court decision to demolish illegal structures at the Busol watershed reservation, Baguio’s main water source.

This, as the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples issued temporary restraining orders (TROs) to stall for at least 72 hours the demolition of illegal structures, some even four-stories high recently.

Though vowing “teeth” against at least 30 mostly huge houses, Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr.’s demolition crew were taken over by “curse-shouting” women-owners of the huge buildings backed up by men at the human barricade fortified by a Mitsubishi Pajero and Mercedes Benz vans to block the entrance of the watershed.

This, even as the Supreme Court earlier ruled against the informal settlers.

Aside from the well-fortified barricades at the entrance of the watershed, at least two high ranking city officials are interceding to favor the settlers, one even engaging demolition crew head Engr. Nazita Banez into a shouting match.

Based on an inventory of the city government, there are some 900 illegal buildings in the Busol watershed, but only a few are scheduled for demolition this month because their cases were given clearance by the SC ahead of the others.

Environmentalists in the city had been constantly lobbying for the dismantling of illegal structures constructed in the watershed and forest reservations in the city, but the efforts have been slow because the affected parties resort to filing court cases to delay the enforcement of the demolition orders.

Starting Monday, Bautista sees no reason why the demolition will be delayed after the city has observed humanitarian concern for the affected residents for a long time.

City legal officer Melchor Rabanes said the ball really now lies with the city mayor’s office, not them, because it is Bautista Jr. who is mandated to implement the SC decision. “We did our part in filing the case against protests on earlier demolition orders issued,” Rabanes said.

The demolition could have been earlier but the mayor had accepted offers by “squatters” for more time to demolish their structures voluntarily.

Despite the SC ruling allowing the demolition of several structures in the Busol watershed, constructions of more, which are much bigger than the ones to be demolished have reportedly continued.

Earlier, the affected squatters questioned the move of the local and national government agencies to install fence around the Busol watershed to prevent the sprouting of structures.

Aside from the construction of illegal structures, many portions of the Busol watershed, particularly those in La Trinidad were converted into commercial vegetable farms, an activity that poses a serious threat to the potability of water being supplied to the residents due to the rampant use of pesticides and fungicides in the growing of farm crops in the area.