THE close to 80 families who are living inside the former Department of Agriculture (DA) compound will have to vacate their place today.
“We want them out today because it is a government-owned land,” Squatting Prevention and Demolition Division Head Loi Madrigal said.
Madrigal said the families were notified four days ago.
Around 63 families have built houses inside the compound while an undetermined number of families live in the compound’s 11 vacant buildings.
Madrigal plans to visit the area today to check if the settlers have complied with the orders.
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III wants the 6.2-hectare property on M. Velez St. cleared as it will be used to house his administration’s technical and vocational programs.
But homeowners association president Carlos Lucero posted a notice that they will not vacate the building because the ownership of the property is still under litigation.
The property’s ownership is under litigation after Tomas Osmeña, then mayor of Cebu City, asked the court for a judicial review on its ownership.
Majority of the illegal settlers are former DA-7 employees./Nina Bianca Sayson, UP Intern