Close to 1, 000 individuals from Sitio Tangke in Barangay Mambaling in Cebu Cityrisk losing their homes with the issuance of a writ of demolition against them.
Affected families flocked to the Cebu City Hall on Friday morning to ask acting Mayor Margot Osmeña to intervene on their behalf and ask the court to delay implementation of the demolition scheduled on Monday.
Virginia Canoy, president of the Tangke Home Owners Association, said they earlier sought help from the Presidential Commission of the Urban Poor (PCUP) but were told to request for six-month extension of the demolition order.
Canoy, 48, said they needed Osmeña’s concurrence request before they could file a formal manifestation in court.
But the acting mayor was not at her city hall office during their visit on Friday morning.
The group of about 10 people led by Canoy said that they will return to city hall to speak to Osmeña.
Judge Pamela Baring-Uy of the Branch 6 of the Municipal Trial Court in Cities issued a writ of demolition addressed to about 500 Sitio Tangke families. They received a copy of the order on June 10.
But Canoy said the court order was ‘questionable.’
She said that in the absence of a sketch or written outline, it would be difficult to identify the boundaries of the disputed land.
¨The reason why we are asking for a six-month extension is because we want to conduct another land survey. It’s alright with us if Judge Pamela Baring-Uy will ask someone from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to do the survey. It’s also alright with us if we will be the ones tasked to look for a surveyor,” Canoy added.
Canoy argued that the lot that they occupy is not covered by demolition order. She said that the writ of demolition covers only occupants lot no. 2836-G. She said that they occupy the neighboring lot with Lot. No. 2863-F./UP Cebu Intern Morexette Marie Erram