Homeowners to Rody: Subway will evict us for business ends

Evictees-to-be of the Metro Manila subway are asking Malacañang to reconsider their expropriation. DOTr need not take their houses and lots as construction detour then for rail station businesses. Many adjacent government lands can be used for that.

“Expropriation is not necessary since the purpose is temporary,” homeowners of middle-class United Hills Village, Parañaque City, wrote President Rody Duterte. Sufficient hectares of public lands are available nearby for construction yard and traffic rerouting. “Government will save millions in taxpayers money as public land is free for [its] use,” they said. “Exercise of power of eminent domain [can] lead to oppression and sacrifice of private property to benefit business interests.”

The homeowners’ petition was sent Sept. 20 through Executive Sec. Salvador Medialdea. In turn, the latter’s office told DOTr Sec. Arthur Tugade on Oct. 11 to respond to their plea for review of the subway encroachment into their quiet gated village.

The 36-km subway is to have 15 stations from Quezon City in the metropolis’ north to Food Terminal Inc.-Taguig City in the south. Costing P357 billion, it will traverse an earthquake fault and flood lines. Previously unannounced, the Bicutan station in Parañaque, one km farther south, would displace residences, shops, schools, and churches in five subdivisions in Barangay San Martin de Porres.

The homeowners had been informed that their private property will be taken for a construction depot. Thereafter it will be for businesses inside Bicutan station. Japan International Cooperation Agency and its Study Team summoned them to a stakeholders’ consultation Sept. 3. They were told FTI subway station will connect with Philippine National Railways commuter line at Bicutan. Private homes in United Hills will be expropriated “as depot and to replicate the East Service Road so that it will remain open to traffic. Once construction is completed the area expropriated will be devoted to ‘mixed use’, or for commercial or business purposes.”

Expressing support for Duterte’s modernizing Metro Manila transportation, they said, “Nothing would make us happier than to build a future in which our children can live together in a prosperous, stable society. But the intended expropriation, which would ultimately benefit private individuals and business enterprises, will deny that future.” Homeowners Association president Eugene Babia attached the petitioners’ signatures.

In that and a separate meeting with Parañaque city officials, the homeowners pointed to at least three nearby government lots. One is owned by DOTr itself, another by Philippine National Construction Co., and the biggest by the Dept. of Agriculture. They added an abandoned private lot as alternative site for Bicutan station. DOTr’s policy is to use state property as much as possible for stations, while JICA’s is to minimize socioeconomic displacements.

A separate petition to Parañaque city hall detailed the harmful effects on health and environment of subway construction and operation. The homeowners listed fumes, noise, vibration, ground shakes, and improper waste disposal.

They cited a Mar. 25, 2018 article by Philippine Information Agency entitled “Gov’t Eyes Commercial Development of Metro Subway Stations to Help Pay Off JICA Loan for Project.” The title alone “revealed the nefarious ulterior motive,” they noted. “Homes and families should not be sacrificed just for commercial endeavors, which are obviously and strictly not for public use.”

The homeowners complained of suffering sleepless nights ever since informed of expropriation last July by JICA sub-consultant Ecosys Corp. In QC, councilors expect homeowners’ resistance to expropriation to give way to two of seven stations. They have asked DOTr to look into returning the subway to its original alignment beneath busy, commercialized EDSA instead of passing through residential zones. Official documents show that JICA rail consultants had deemed the original EDSA alignment most beneficial to commuters, safest from disaster, at least cost. Despite that, DOTr wrote JICA in Dec. 2016 realigning the subway to FTI-Taguig via Katipunan Avenue, QC, in lieu of EDSA.

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Eight disciplinary levels govern the Philippine National Police. At barangays are People’s Law Enforcement Boards, then mayors and governors, PNP station chiefs, provincial directors, regional directors, the PNP director general, the National Police Commission, and the Ombudsman. Still so-called “ninja cops” are able to elude that gauntlet to resell confiscated narcotics. If not for a virtual ninth level – the Senate Blue-Ribbon committee – 14 alleged scalawags would soon be retiring with honors despite their P800-million shabu plunder in Pampanga in 2013. There is even a tenth level, the Integrity Monitoring and Enforcement Group, recently formed by Napolcom to investigate infractions by PNP support units like Maritime and Aviation Commands and Special Action Force.

Add an eleventh, the Internal Affairs Service, founded by R.A. 8551. That law is hazy about IAS’ reportability, says Inspector General Alfegar Triambulo. It was intended to be on equal footing with and complement Napolcom’s investigative and punitive authority. But Napolcom, as PNP supervising body, placed IAS under the Chief-PNP. IAS thus cannot investigate its superior Chief-PNP if involved in narco-racket. That was the situation when civilian lawyer Triambulo joined in Dec. 2016. IAS disciplinary rulings became merely recommendatory. Then-PNP Chief (now senator) Ronald dela Rosa enforced most of the verdicts, Triambulo told “Sapol” radio show Sat. Later, successor Oscar Albayalde had all IAS resolutions reviewed by the Directorate for Personnel and Resource Management. The twelfth level?

Congress needs to revisit the law and clarify disciplinary lines. It also must allocate to IAS more than the present P86 million a year, merely one-eighth of its needs. When Triambulo walked in, there was no photocopier, the last computer purchase was in 2010, and he had to take out a personal car loan. Yet he transformed a paltry 2.5-percent resolution rate to 87 percent of over 10,000 complaints. About 500 cases remain, including dismissal of four of the 14 Pampanga “ninjas” who again planted false drug evidence for extortion in Antipolo City last May. Rep. Jericho Nograles has re-filed a bill to elevate IAS to the fearsome status of global counterparts.    

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Catch Sapol radio show, Saturdays, 8-10 a.m., DWIZ (882-AM).

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