Three houses standing amid final demolition notice

A SWAT team passes by one of the dismantled houses in Sitio San Miguel, Barangay Apas. (CDN PHOTO/LITO TECSON)

THREE houses remained standing yesterday in Sitio San Miguel, Barangay Apas, Cebu City despite a final notice for demolition issued by the court.

Sheriff El Cid Caballes, who went to the area to supervise yesterday’s scheduled demolition, said the motion filed by 12 of the 78 families couldn’t stop them from continuing with the activity.

A motion to suspend the activity was filed by 12 of the 78 affected families at the Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 5 last March 30.

But Caballes said the demolition had been ordered as early as May 2012 by the Metropolitan Trial Court in Cities (MTCC).

“But the RTC upheld the MTCC decision. Why are they filing this now?” he said.

He said the families who lived in the three remaining houses refused to accept the compensation offered by Richard Unchuan who owns lots 943, 944 and 945 in the sitio since they couldn’t agree on an amount.

But even without resolution on the compensation, Caballes said they have to push through with the demolition.

Caballes said the demolition was ordered by RTC Branch 5 Judge Ricky Jones Macabaya last September 2015 and a first notice was issued to the 78 families in

November last year. A second notice was issued last February this year and the third and last notice was yesterday.

The rest of the families voluntarily dismantled their homes last January.

The court’s demolition team also continued demolishing the remaining structures left by the other owners that have not been completely destroyed.

Apas Barangay Chairman Ramil Ayuman and Escolastico Daitol, the lawyer of the settlers, sought to postpone the demolition to no avail.

“We couldn’t do anything about it anymore,” Ayuman said.

He said the settlers were provided a relocation site in Barangay Binaliw.