Demolition of shanties starts at Osmeña Shrine

The demolition team had to stop dismantling houses at Osmeña Shrine in Barangay Kalunasan, Cebu City after being questioned by Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr.
(CDN Photo/Lito Tecson)

Clutching her crying six-month-old baby, 31-year-old Dayen Bacaro tried to stop Cebu City Hall’s demolition team from dismantling her small home at the Osmeña Shrine yesterday morning.

“We had to borrow money to buy housing materials. We haven’t even fully paid it yet. But now, they have already torn it down. We don’t know where we will sleep now,” she said in Cebuano.

City Hall’s Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement (Probe) team yesterday implemented a clearing order earlier issued by Mayor Tomas Osmeña for the area.

Probe team head Abel Diloy said they gave a 72-hour notice to the settlers in the area last week but they still didn’t leave.

“We advised them to present their side, their concerns and issues to the city legal office. But they never went,” he said.

He also said that the settlers can also seek assistance from the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) if they wish to avail of the city’s program for
relocation of qualified settlers in the city.

There are 300 structures built at the Osmeña Shrine.

The structures were earlier demolished by the city last June upon the orders of then acting mayor Margot Osmeña. But the settlers rebuilt in the same area.

The Probe team started demolishing some of the houses yesterday morning but had to pull out at noon after Cebu City Councilor Pastor Alcover Jr. questioned the demolition.

Alcover, a member of the City Council’s committee on housing, said the demolition was illegal since they only had a clearing order from the mayor.

He said the city needs a court order for the demolition.

“We are supporting the settlers. We will be filing a case against the Probe team,” Alcover said.