Settlers claims invalid, say Mandaue officials

MANDAUE City Hall dismissed the complaints filed by the Philcadan settlers in relation to the 6.5 relocation site in barangay Paknaan, saying they’re not native residents in the area.

Cynthia Suico, community affairs officer of the Housing and Urban Development Office (HUDO), said 15 of these settlers in Philcadan, sitio Rosal, Orel Street, barangay Banilad, were already beneficiaries of another relocation site in sitio Pine Tree, also in Banilad.

Suico said 15 Philcadan settlers refused to transfer in sitio Pine Tree since they wanted to be relocated in Paknaan and get a share of the P2-million donation of San Miguel Brewery Corp.

Suico said the donation cannot be divided since the amount was intended for urban development.  She said SMC initially only released P1 million so far.  “There are other settlers deserving of relocation,” Suico said.

She said those who filed a complaint against the Mandaue city government at the  Ombudsman-Visayas were the remaining 15 Philcadan settlers while the others reportedly came from the Cebu City side of the Mahiga Creek.

Engr. Roy Mangubat, City Engineering Office chief, said time was spent identifying the the informal settlers living in the boundary of Mandaue and Cebu City to make sure that only bonafide settlers will be relocated.

Housing and Urban Development Office (HUDO) consultant Francisco Amit also claimed that opposition politicians were behind the settlers who filed a complaint against Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes.

He, however, didn’t name those politicians allegedly backing the settlers.

Amit alleged that 42 of the Philcadan settlers are professional squatters who only rent houses in the area.  The Philcadan settlers sought a temporary restraining order to stop the demolition of their shanties in their area.

Amit said they will file a motion to dismiss the case for lack of legal and factual basis.

While denying that the 6.5 hectares relocation site consists of a swamp and timberland, Amit said about 2,000 sq. meters of the area can be reached by sea water during high tide. /Fe Marie Dumaboc, Correspondent