The demolition team takes down one of the houses that sits on Lot 942 in Barangay Apas, Cebu City. CDND PHOTO / Rosalie Abatayo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Elma Ybañez, 41, sat on a corner as she watched members of the demolition team tear down her neighbors’ homes in Lot 942, Purok 6, Sitio San Miguel in Barangay Apas.
An overwhelming feeling of helplessness took over Ybañez as all she could do was to watch the team demolish the houses that they have called their “homes.”
On Wednesday morning, July 10, Sheriff Edilberto Suarin of Branch 6 of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities (MTCC) of Cebu City served the demolition order of the 38 structures in the area.
The demolition of the houses started around 9 a.m.
In an interview with CDN Digital, Suarin said the demolition is pursuant to the case filed by a certain Aletha Suico Magat in 2011.
In 2014, the court ordered for the first demolition of the structures in Lot 942.
A total of 160 houses were demolished that year.
They were 38 structures in the area that were not demolished in 2014 as they appealed their case before the court.
Suarin said the case has been decided in 2018 and the residents were served with a notice of demolition in January 2019.
READ: Apas settlers ask Ombud-Visayas aid against demolition
They were also called for a pre-demolition conference (PDC) on the same month.
However, no one appeared before the Presidential Commission on the Urban Poor (PCUP) for the PDC.
“Nadugay ni pag-implement kay moagi pa man og pre-demolition conference. Pero pag PDC, wala ni sila nangattend tanan,” said Suarin.
Despite the appeal of some residents to not implement the order, Suarin explained that only a temporary restraining order (TRO) from the courts can stop the demolition.
While they are aware that their houses will be demolished, Ybañez said they were surprised because they did not receive any recent notice.
The structures in Lot 942 consist of the residents’ houses and boarding houses or rooms for rent.
“Nakalitan gyud mi kay wala man gyud mi kahibalo nga karon diay mi i-demolish. Kay kun nakahibaw pa mi, kanang mga nag-abang diha, nibalhin na unta sila daan,” said Ybañez.
(We were surprised because nobody notified us that the demolition would be implemented today. Had we known, most of the renters would have moved out already.)
The demolition of the houses, based on the writ of execution signed by Suarin, is scheduled until July 19 or until all structures are cleared.
Personnel from the Crisis Intervention Unit of the Cebu City Department of Social Welfare Services (DSWS) have visited the area to record the number of affected families.
Stephen Tantiado from the DSWS said they will make a report of the demolition and endorse it to their office heads to decide what assistance could be given to the residents whose houses have been demolished. / celr