Aquino halts Army plan to remove Libingan squatters
GRAVE THREATS. Clusters of shanties competing for space within the Libingan ng mga Bayani property could be clearly seen along its perimeter walls in Taguig City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ARNOLD ALMACEN
An order from the commander in chief prevented the military from evicting some 2,000 residents illegally occupying parts of the Libingan ng mga Bayani in Fort Bonifacio but who have apparently secured a line to Malacañang through the Cayetanos of Taguig City.
Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano on Saturday said she and her husband, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, were informed by Mr. Aquino himself that he had directed the Philippine Army’s Task Group Bantay not to proceed with the mass eviction.
“On behalf of almost 2,000 families residing in parts of Libingan ng mga Bayani, I thank President Aquino for his immediate action on this issue. We are lucky to have a reasonable President who listens to the people. And because of this fast undertaking, I expect that the tension in the area will now subside and that the lives of the families will go back to normal,” Cayetano said in a statement.
The mayor was referring to the residents in Katipunan Village, Sitio Masagana, Sitio Masigasig, Sitio Maliwanag and Sitio Matatag, which are considered within the Libingan property in Western Bicutan, Taguig.
The Task Group sent them a notice of eviction on May 22, signed by Capt. Edgar Torre, stressing that the residents had been illegally occupying the land, a government property that hosts a national shrine.
It also cited two Supreme Court decisions, in 2006 and in 2013, which denied the residents’ bid to have the land reclassified as alienable and disposable.
The eviction notice gave the residents seven days to voluntarily vacate their homes, after which the Task Group would “enforce its mandated mission” on those who still refuse to leave.
But Cayetano and the residents called the impending evictions illegal, saying it violated procedures set under the Urban Development and Housing Act, particularly on the need to secure a relocation site first and allot a 30-day period for voluntary demolitions.
They also claimed that the Task Group failed to conduct at least three “consultation” sessions and a “predemolition conference” with the affected families.
On Friday, Cayetano and the residents sent separate letters to the Task Group, expressing their opposition.
The mayor also wrote a letter addressed to the President Aquino, asking him to stop the Army team.
“We cannot close our eyes to the untold suffering that the demolition would cause the residents. We cannot also discount the possible occurrence of violence that can compromise public safety,” Cayetano said in her letter to the President. “We appeal to you to take the lead in bringing the parties together to find a long-lasting solution to the issue.”
Medel Raquel, president of the Concerned Residents of Katipunan Village, said the residents could now “sleep well” but would “continue to look for a long-term solution to our predicament.”
