New occupants of housing units at Bayanihan village in a row with Iligan LGU

 ILIGAN CITY – Local city officials conducted series of meetings with the residents of Bayanihan Village at Barangay Santa Elena, this city, to brief them of the latest developments regarding the occupancy of the housing units and premises intended for victims of Typhoon Sendong.

Some beneficiaries sold their units to outsiders who are not victims of typhoon Sendong at an average amount of 20,000 pesos mostly to people from the Lanao areas. This prompted the Local government of Iligan City to call for a meeting to inform those buyers of the units considered to be illegal occupants whose units will be subjected to padlock operation.

The said officials in the meeting called on March 28, 2018 stressed that only beneficiaries of the housing units are authorized to stay and occupy the housing units and premises.

Earlier, in granting the housing units and the premises to the beneficiaries, the Housing and Resettlement Office of the City of Iligan has issued guidelines relative to the use and occupancy of the housing units, that only the beneficiaries are authorized to stay and occupy the housing units and premises, together with their respective family members.

The guidelines further stipulate that no outsider is allowed to stay in the housing units and the premises, and the housing units cannot be subjected to mortgage/loan, rent, or sale to other individuals, as the rights of the beneficiaries to own the housing units and the premises granted to them will be jeopardized if they violate the guidelines in accordance with City Ordinance No. 2414, series of 1994.

That in transferring their residences at the Bayanihan Village, the beneficiaries should automatically dismantle their old and prior residential houses and can no longer return to their old residential houses. In addition, the beneficiaries will not change, alter or improve the design and form of the housing units granted to them unless officially authorized by the Gawad Kalinga and the City Engineer’s Office.

The guidelines further mandate the beneficiaries to maintain cleanliness of the surroundings and collect, gather and give the garbage to the garbage collectors of the City Government at garbage collection time inside the Bayanihan Village. 

The beneficiaries were asked not to obstruct or put materials for drying clothes along the pathways or roads inside the village, and finally, the beneficiaries are mandated to refrain from installing illegal connections from electric posts or water pipes from the community water system for their personal consumption.

The beneficiaries are also asked to follow the guidelines, policies, stipulations relative to the use, stay or occupancy of the housing units and the premises, knowing that their failure to comply or follow the guidelines, policies and stipulations, will serve as basis for the forfeiture of their rights to stay at the housing units and premises in the Bayanihan Village in consonance with the resettlement program of the City Government.

 

New occupants rally protests operation padlock

Buyers of the Bayanihan housing units for Sendong victims who are new occupants are planning not to vacate and they just opt to stay inside the housing units as soon as padlock operation will be implemented by the local government of Iligan City, unless a satisfactory arrangement is made between them and the local government of Iligan City.

Notice to vacate was serve to the new occupants of the housing units that will be subjected for padlock on March 31 but was moved to April 2, 2018 due to holidays. There were 23 housing units were padlocked during the operation padlock.

The new occupants of the Bayanihan housing units sold held a rally on April 10, 2018 numbering to at least 300 individuals protesting the padlock operation. In their placards stated that they bought their newly occupied housing units, “we are not criminals,” “we are not squatters,” “Stop padlocking,” “Sendong victims sold us their houses voluntarily,” “President Duterte please help us!”

Prior to the rally on the same day, April 10, a certain Kimaloden M. Abdullah, Secretary of the Bayanihan Village “PAGRAG KO KABNAR” Organization, a human rights group, whose house was bomb at around 1:15 in the morning at the Bayanihan village. Accordingly, police investigation showed that it was a grenade exploded inside their house. Abdullah said the grenade bombing in his house was believed to be in connection with their housing occupancy in Bayanihan village. Abdullah said that they will wait any court orders to follow in relation to the housing units they occupied because no person is above the law.

Abdullah added that Maranao people in Bayanihan are peace loving people. They are against the ISIS and other terrorists group caused the devastation of Marawi city, the reason why people were displaced everywhere. He said that their Treasurer was raided and arrested weeks ago due to drugs and .38 caliber pistol in possession. He said that all the evidences during the raid were allegedly planted.

Iligan City Mayor Celso G. Regencia

Iligan City Mayor Celso G. Regencia, expressed his sentiments that Bayanihan village became “little Marawi.” The padlock operation was just an implementation of the law and order to protect government properties and ensure the peace and order, and security not only in Sta. Elena but also the entir Iligan City. Regencia said that Bayanihan village housing units is intended for the victims of the “Typhoon Sendong” not for the victims of the “Marawi siege.” He said the guidelines is very clear that the Sendong victims beneficiaries are not allowed to transact the housing units for rent or sale to any other individuals. An estimated to 300 housing units left out of 1,650 units constructed in Bayanihan village were not sold yet. 

In a public statement in the social media, the Operation Padlock that was conducted on April 2 was part of the clearing operation of the local government in connection to the security measures. The Operation padlock was stopped due to the alleged intervention from Malcanang. Priuor to the padlock operation, Mayor Regencia has been receiving reports from the Barangay officials regarding illegal activities at the Bayanihan Village such as sightings of residents carrying guns, selling illegal drugs, and other criminal activities. There are residents violating laws, throwing garbage anywhere and making the streets their personal parking space. “Busa atong gi-aksyonan,” (that’s why we take actions) Regencia said. (with reports by Phil Paalan and Joan Eslit)