AKD urges Pnoy, local officials: Stop demolition to avoid more violence

PRESS RELEASE I July 6, 2011

QUEZON CITY--Groups of urban poor under Alyansa Kontra-Demolisyon (AKD), a national alliance of urban poor settlers, call on the Aquino adminsitration to stop all cases of demolition of urban poor communities, as they storm the head office of Department of Local and Interior Government (DILG). They demand DILG Secretary Jessie Robredo to investigate the human right violations committed by the PNP and demolition crew during last friday violent Davao City demolition.

The alliance leaders reenact Inday Sara's punching of the court sheriff to show how demolition nationwide will surely be abated because of the fierce resistance of urban poor settlers. Residents of Sitio Soliman in the Andao District of Davao City vow to defend their houses at all cost come July 9 when the 10-day stay order issued by Davao Judge Emmanuel C, Cario expires.

According to Estrelieta Bagasbas, national spokesperson of Alyansa Kontra-Demolisyon, “the Aquino government seems to show no concern to the harassment made by the police on the urban poor residents of Soliman. Does the goverment realize that there were more casualties on the side of the residents, and that 270 families could have been homeless had it not been for the punching?”

Corazon Espinoza, an uban poor leader from Davao, who was a victim of police harassment during last friday demolition joins the group of protestors. She challenges Robredo not to be “one-sided” on the issue as if only the sheriff was hurt and needed reprisal due to Mayor Sara Duterte.

Espinoza's group, Kadamay-Davao City and Alyansa Kontra-Demolisyon holds a simultaneous protest today in front of DILG regional office in Davao City, along with residents of Soliman.

“We challenge local government officials and Pnoy to stop all demolition cases nationwide and prevent more human right violations, and the eruption of greater violence,” Bagasbas remarks.

Not less than 7,000 urban poor families were evicted from their communities in the first year of the Aquino administration in Metro Manila alone due to different priority development projects under his Public-Private Partnership program.

“Is this the place of urban poor in Aquino's development program? It is important for the thousands of urban poor nationwide that are and will be facing eviction from their homes to unite and demand from the government housing program,” says Carlito Badion, AKD lead convenor.

Reference: Carlito Badion, Alyansa Kontra-Demolisyon Lead Convenor (09393873736)