Church group calls Luz demolition ‘inhumane’

A group supporting the plight of the urban poor in Metro Cebu slammed as inhumane the demolition of 32 houses in barangay Luz that began last Monday.

“There is no humane or gentle way to destroy homes, especially on ancestral lots of occupants,” said Fr. Vicente Dayao, spokesperson of the Cebu Solidarity with the Urban Poor.

He said the demolition should stop and instead a dialogue should be held between the families involved and claimants of their home lots.

The demolition was covered by an order issued by Regional Trial Court Judge Ramon Daomilas of branch 11. The demolition stemmed from the case filed by several homeowners associations who had the lots in barangay Luz covered by the Community Mortgage Program (CMP).

The households that organized into the Barangay Luz Urban Poor Fraternal Organization (Blupfo) alleged that the claimants are not original CMP beneficiaries, but just assumed the rights over the homelots from original beneficiairies.

The demolition proceeded last Monday after months of postponement after the City Council did not authorize Mayor Michael Rama to buy the lands and then enter into a long-term mortgage deal with the 32 families.

Meanwhile, Daomilas issued an order yesterday asking the barangay Luz Council to give holding areas to the 32 families. Barangay Luz Rian Tante said they already identified holding areas in sitios Kalina, Abellana and Nangka. /With a report from Tweeny M. Malinao