Makabayan bloc urges Duterte to stop eviction of Kadamay members at Pandi project

The Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives called on President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the eviction of urban poor group members who occupied idle government housing units in Pandi, Bulacan.

Party-list representatives Antonio Tinio and France Castro (ACT-Teachers), Arlene Brosas (Gabriela), Ariel Casilao (Anakpawis), and Sarah Elago (Kabataan) trooped to the site on Wednesday to show their support to Kadamay members, who are occupying more than 4,000 units there.

Their visit came as the National Housing Authority (NHA) continued to serve eviction notices against Kadamay members, who were given seven days to leave the premises.

The bloc—allied with the House supermajority—called on Duterte and concerned housing agencies to “look beyond” the legalities of Kadamay’s move.

“Panawagan namin kay Presidente Duterte, sa mga housing agencies, hindi po itong simpleng legal na kwestiyon. Hindi dapat tayo matali sa usapin kung makatarungan ba o ilegal ba ang pag-okupa nila. Intindihin natin na bahagi ng buong panlipunang krisis ang dapat tingnan,” Casilao said.

“Hanapan dapat ng paraan para sila ay ma-settle. Hindi po ito usapin kung ito ay ilegal. Sila ay mamamayan, at ito ay proyekto ng gobyerno,” he added.

Tinio echoed this, reiterating that the move was “reasonable” because the occupants are already based in Bulacan, and they are “entitled” to these houses because it is a government project for the poor.

The said housing units are meant for informal settlers staying at flood-prone areas in Metro Manila, as well as low-salaried uniformed personnel.

Tinio noted that the urban poor in Metro Manila do not want to move to these housing units because it would be far from their livelihood.

“‘Yung panawagan, kilalanin ‘yung kanilang occupation nang mapakinabangan finally itong mga [housing units],” he said. “Nakikiisa tayo sa pinaglalaban ng mga mamamayang narito ngayon.”

For her part, Brosas said the asking Kadamay members to leave the government housing units would just be consistent with the cycle of eviction and transfers, as seen during the past administrations.

She said the occupants should be allowed to stay there, at least until a “thorough” investigation on this problem has been conducted.

“Nananawagan kami na since ‘di pa naiimbestigahan nang mabuti, dapat wala po munang eviction na mangyari kasi parang umuulit lang tayo sa kasaysayan kung ang magaganap ay pagpapatalsik sa maralita, sa mahihirap natin,” she said.

“‘Yung mga shelter agencies natin, ‘yung mga ahensya ng gobyerno, dapat po maging makatao ang pagtingin nila dito, maging makatarungan dapat, mapayapa, kung merong mga pamamaraan na alamin bakit nangyayari ito ngayon,” she added.

The Makabayan bloc has filed House Resolution 894, seeking an investigation on how housing laws are implemented, especially in relation to the needs of the poor. —NB, GMA News