[Say ‘occupancy-check means demolition, as the community celebrates 1st anniv of ESDA barricade] San Roque residents resist govt’s 2nd round of census

RELEASE l September 19, 2011

QUEZON CITY, Philippines—Some residents of Sitio San Roque under September 23 Movement anticipates another action today as they block the efforts of the National Housing Authority (NHA), with the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) and the Department of Local and Interior Government (DILG) to do an occupancy-check in the said community from September 19-30. This is to “advance the process for a decent housing program for the residents, according to a notice signed by Cruz, Rocamora and Robredo who are the heads of the said agencies.

“This is the government’s answer to the unabated returning of those who have already relocated to Montalban, and its sole purpose is to speed up the eviction of residents to give way for the implementation of the Qujavascript:void(0)ezon City Central Business District (QCCBD),” according to Estrelieta Bagasbas, chair of a San Roque coalition called September 23 Movement, the name attributed to the infamous resistance of the residents against demolition and created a 7-hour stand-off in EDSA.

Today is also the start of the community’s week-long celebration of the first anniversary of their victory.

“We learned from our experience that such census or occupancy-check would only serve against the unity of the residents to resist the impending demolition. We have stood up our defence for almost a year since September 23, and we remained vigilant against any attempt to weaken our resistance through divide-and-rule tactics,” Bagasbas adds.

Sitio San Roque sits along EDSA, and is probably the biggest community after the Laperal community in Makati City was demolished last April. Before NHA started its relocation program for the residents early last year, some 5,000 families of the original 11,000 families have already relocated to Montalban and Bulacan relocation sites. According to the leader, almost half of the 5,000 have returned from the relocation sites, with problems related to sustainable source of livelihood as their chief complaint.

It has been rumoured that the Ayala Land, Inc. has been putting greater pressure to Malacanang to jumpstart the long-delayed implementation of the QCCBD, while NHA would pay fine after its contract with ALI to develop the NHA-owned property into the planned business district have lapsed last August.

“After the government conducted its first survey of San Roque in 2009, the NHA was able to divide the residents into qualified and disqualified of its relocation program. Some 2,000 residents were considered disqualified, and remained in San Roque until now. Some bribed NHA officials in order to get qualified and avail of the relocation programs,” the leader adds.

“The bribe is a small percentage of the profit the relocatees get from selling their unit at an amount not less than P50,000,” Bagasbas reveals.

“By disallowing the occupancy-check, the government might say that we are protecting the interest of those who came back from the relocation sites. In fact, we really are encouraging residents to come back to San Roque. It’s all we can do to help them do away with extreme poverty and social degradation,” she adds.

“More than its said objective, the occupancy-check will give opportunities for the agencies to have direct line to our members and bribe them to leave the place. Many residents would be willing to take their bribes and have themselves relocated only to come back and be tagged as “professional squatters,” Bagasbas ends.

REFERENCE: Carlito Badion, AKD Lead Convener I 09393873736