7 Urban Poor Groups Back Cebu City’s Moratorium on Demolitions

Seven urban poor groups support the Cebu City government’s moratorium on the implementation of pending demolition orders in city-owned properties until further notice.

These are the Cebu City Urban Poor Alliance, Akbayan Party-list, Sanlakas Cebu, Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC), Abaca Urban Poor Federation in Barangay Apas, All Power Urban Poor, and the Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya.

Earlier, Acting Cebu City Mayor Margarita Osmeña signed a memorandum prohibiting the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP); Local Housing Board; the Prevention, Restoration, Order, Beautification and Enhancement (Probe) Office; and the City Legal Office from issuing any order, notice or recommendation to demolish or evict vendors and informal settler families.

Osmeña ordered the DWUP and Probe to submit a list of vendors, homeowners’ associations and informal settlers facing pending demolition orders.

The moratorium is effective until June 30, before the new mayor assumes office on July 1.

Sanlakas Cebu and FDC, in a joint statement, expressed their gratitude to Mayor-elect Tomas Osmeña for upholding the rights and the welfare of the people.

They pointed to outgoing Mayor Michael Rama’s alleged bias against the marginal sector.

The two groups said that instead of affirming the moratorium ordinance that was approved by the City Council, Rama vetoed it twice.

Rama had said the demolition moratorium ordinance authored by Councilor Alvin Dizon, chairman of the housing committee, contradicted some national laws like the Water Code of the Philippines.

The code requires that riverbanks and streams and shores of seas and lakes throughout their entire length and within their three-meter easement zone must be free of any structures. (PNA) SCS/EB/SSC