When squatting becomes a political instrument for personal gains, it is the community which loses.
Some politicians have seen the informal settlers as a vote-rich sector of the electorate. They are the pool of desperate voters who can easily be manipulated by their opportunist tendencies. Thus, even when their documentary evidence over occupied areas is somewhat dubious, they become brave enough to disregard the orders for them to vacate the area because of the protection bestowed on them by unscrupulous politicians.
They migration of people from the rural areas to the urban centers primarily for livelihood has resulted in the proliferation of informal settlers and other related problems for local governments. Aside from squatting, the influx of people to the urban areas result to complicated problems on solid waste disposal, environmental degradation, air, water and land pollution apart from the deterioration of peace and order. Local officials are empowered by law to issue eviction and demolition orders for the dismantling of illegal structures erected on private or government properties.
There are many land speculators who already enriched themselves at the expense of informal settlers. Ironically, deserving informal settlers still believe on the sugar-coated words of their manipulative leaders and politicians who promise that they have the chance to own these properties they illegally occupied.
Most of the time, people believe that the law actually favors the informal settlers.When legitimate owners show sufficient proof of ownership to their properties squatted upon by unscrupulous individuals, they could not actually get the right orders but instead, they are forced to engage in delaying tactics that cause them more headaches and expenses. Land grabbing is rampant in rural and urban centers around the country and the unscrupulous tend to end up winners over those who have legal claims.
In the case of the long overdue demolition of the illegal structures erected on the government property along Harrison Road, popularly known as the Benguet-Ifugao-Bontoc-Apayao-Kalinga (BIBAK) lot, the informal occupants have committed to voluntarily demolish their illegal structures built over the 5,000-square meter property on or before June 30, 2017. They also committed to withdrawing all the cases they filed against the city government with the various courts. However, lately, it is turning out that the informal settlers again found another excuse for them not to comply with their commitment because of so-called previous communications made by a former lawmaker endorsing the development of the said property to a wealthy local businessman.
We certainly believe that the BIBAK lot informal settlers are making a mockery of the tolerance of local officials so they can continue to illegally occupy the property. Many people are wondering why it is that when only one house is affected, the city demolition team easily implements demolition orders but when many individuals are involved, there are numerous delaying tactics that are involved to the extent that legal owners are always at the losing end of the deal.
It behooves the public to make a public outcry of such delaying tactics based on the mere communication of a politician. It also behooves the current city officials to clear the air and assert the use of the property as a student center for Cordillera youth.
We need leaders who must stand by their words and orders. We need no lame duck officials or fence sitters because enterprising individuals will simply take advantage of the absence of political will in trying to lord it over private and public properties.
While informal settlers are the source of a good number of votes to sustain the political career of a politician, we believe otherwise because there are more people stand by the rule of law. They are not blinded by the too much politicking of some of our leaders in the city just to get pogi points for the next election.We would like to remind these politicians that the welfare of the youth of the Cordillera gets more votes than a few informal settlers.
We demand at this point, that the city officials clarify with the public the real plans for the property. We would like to remind them that the property is for the youth of the Cordillera.
For the informal settlers, please do not be selfish. You are depriving the youth of the Cordillera the opportunity to have safe, decent and accessible student services. These youth are your children too.
We believe the people of the city are far more intelligent than some of our political leaders to discern who is sincerely of service to us. We do not need leaders who play politics. We need leaders who are strong, sensitive to the constituencies’ needs and makes firm decisions to advance the welfare of the youth and state of development of our city.
We, as a community, should not lose the opportunity to have this BIBAK lot turned into a center for our youth. Our lead
