Councilors seek halt to eviction of Warwick folk

Loreto Gramatica one of the fire victims of Warwik Barak barangay Ermita helplessly looking at his dress scattered at the ground after his tent is one of the more than ten tents asa temporary shelters at Lot 27 North Reclamation Area were demolished by the members of SPEED, SWAT and the office of the Department of Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) headed by Atty.Collin Rusell with out there presents. (CDN PHOTO/JUNJIE MENDOZA)

The Cebu City Council yesterday called for a stop to the city government’s eviction of people living in the old Warwick Barracks until their requests for relocation are properly addressed.

Councilors also questioned why six members of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) showed up in full battle gear.

“I can’t imagine the city using the full force of the law, highly trained urban guerilla warfare to be used on the vendors,” Councilor Gerardo Carillo said in the council session.

Em-em Alleviado of the Kilusan sa Pambansang Demokrasya, said women and children shook in fear when SWAT personnel entered their shelters in Block 27.

Some Warwick Barracks residents recounted to the council their experience of “harassment” when when their houses on El Filibusterismo St. were demolished in March. They were told to relocate to Block 27.

‘Overkill’

Families occupied parts of the road after their stalls and houses were destroyed by a fire that hit Warwick Barracks last January.

“It was an overkill because of the presence of the SWAT personnel,” Alleviado said.

The City Council agreed to call for a dialog today with the affected residents, the Department for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP), the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP), the council’s housing committee and market office chief Raquel Arce, who heads the Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement (Probe) team.

Acting Vice Mayor Nestor Archival will preside over the meeting.

Clearing operations

Councilor Alvin Dizon, head of the City Council housing committee, raised the eviction of Block 27 occupants.

On Tuesday, DWUP personnel dismantled 20 of the 41 tents occupied by 93 people.

Clearing operations were based on the final notice to vacate issued last month by Arce.
The demolition was supposed to resume yesterday, but was ordered stopped by the council.
“In the event that they (SWAT personnel) are agitated, this may cost the lives of these people unnecessarily.

They do not need to use arms (on the Warwick residents),” Carillo said.
Makeshift

Alleviado reiterated the appeal of the residents that they be relocated before being evicted from the tents built inside block 27 which they use as temporary shelter.

The DWUP identified a relocation site in Budlaan, a mountain barangay. But its steep 70 degrees slop and lack of development make it unfit for occupancy, she said.

She said the 12 families who agreed to relocate to Budlaan occupy makeshift shelters which they built along the access road.

Families asked to be relocated to sitio Talavera in barangay Quiot which is closer to the Carbon Market where they earn their living.

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