Tension rose between occupants of more than 100 shanties and a demolition team in Sitio Hayco Railways along Tres Borces Street in Barangay Mabolo, Cebu City yesterday.
Some residents tried to block the demolition and asked for more time, but their efforts were all in vain especially after police personnel arrived to secure the area yesterday morning.
Court Sheriff Lloyd Tagalog said the original schedule for the demolition was in February.
“But the city requested to extend. The court agreed and gave them until March 31,” he said.
Tagalog said the private owner of the property already needs to use the lot and has started to fence the property.
During last February’s demolition, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella intervened and requested that it be postponed.
While some of the houses were already destroyed, some residents also started rebuilding.
Since then, the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP) has processed some of the residents to avail of the city’s socialized housing program.
DWUP chief Collin Rosell said some of them have been transferred to the city’s relocation site Barangays Budlaan and Pit-os.