Mahiga demolition probe starts

THE Department of Interior and Local Government has started its fact-finding investigation of the demolition of the Mahiga.

Patricio Gabuya, DILG Cebu City director, assured the investigation would be done as fairly as possible.

Gabuya visited the Mahiga Creek demolition site yesterday to conduct the fact-finding investigation requested by the DILG Central Office.

“We would conduct our investigation as fairly as possible. We would not give an opinionated result, we will just present the facts,” Gabuya told Cebu Daily News when he was asked on the independence of their agency to handle the task since they are also an attached agency of the local government.

Gabuya said he would consolidate all the gathered data and forward it today to DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo’s office in Manila.

Robredo ordered Gabuya’s office to inspect whether the demolition is illegal or not, based on the provisions of the Republic Act 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act (UDHA) of 1992.

Rabuya said they would also check if the city complied with the Memorandum Circular 2010-134, which indicates that the Local Government Unit should comply with Section 28 of the UDHA that the discouragement demolition and eviction and prescribes the terms on when a demolition may be allowed.

The circular also instructed LGUs to comply with section 27 of the Local Government Code, which indicates that a prior consultation should be done before a project will be implemented and also prescribes for appropriate relocation site before the eviction.

Gabuya held a 30-minute dialogue with the residents to hear their relocation concerns.

San Isidro barangay captain Rey Ompoc accompanied Gabuya as they inspected the area.

Ompoc admitted he has no objection on the clearing done by the city government; however, he asked the city to provide for a relocation site and and financial assistance to the residents.

“With no house and money, how could they go on?” Ompoc told Cebu Daily News during the fact-finding investigation in Mahiga.

Meanwhile, a people’s organization called Nasudnong Katawhang Kabus (Nakabus) also asked Cebu City to hold the ongoing demolition and give the residents another six months so they can prepare for their evacuation.

“This will also give Cebu city enough time to review and check their previous demolitions, which they had not given any attention,” Nakabus president Evangeline Abejo said./Reporter Candeze R. Mongaya and Correspondent Edison A. delos Angeles