Aabot sa 100 residente ng Iwahig, Our Lady of Peace at Masigla sa Brgy, San Dionisio sa Parañaque City ang nawalan ng tirahan matapos i-demolish ang kanilang mga bahay ng lokal na pamahalaan.
Ito ay para bigyang daan ang konstruksyon sa Southlink Expressway Project ng Department of Public Works and Highways.
Ayon kay Abraham Lopez, Secretary General ng Kampilan, habang libu-libong Filipino ang pumipila sa pagpapabakuna kontra COVID-19, abala naman ang kanilang hanay sa paghahanap ng masisilungan.
“There is no time for the families to think about COVID. What they only have in mind is where they can shelter their children after another round of demolition. The clearing operation team led by the Paranaque LGU took all the scrap woods that support their makeshift tents and pallets that served as people’s beds at night. The clearing operation yesterday was a complete disregard that pandemic exists and that poor people’s rights and health have no value even during this state of calamity,” pahayag ni Lopez.
Higit na nakadidismaya ayon kay Lopez ay pinagbantaan pa ang mga residente na gagamitan ng water cannon para lamang mapalayas sa kani-kanilang tahanan.
“What is worst is that the residents were threatened with facing water cannon and demolition if they are still to stay at the roadside even it is Saturday. The people are helpless because they don’t have any place to go to, children’s studies are disrupted, and elderly people are exposed to the risk of COVID. The eviction does not help curtail and eliminate the threat of COVID-19 but worsens the people’s exposure to the virus. The evicted families appeal to Paranaque LGU to allow them to stay at the roadside while they petition for relocation,” pahayag ni Lopez.
Sinabi naman ni Alicia Murphy, Executive Director ng Urban Poor Associates (UPA), sinabi nito na nagbulag-bulagan ang pamahalaan saa kalbaryo ng mga residente.
“The government agencies involved in the demolition committed a continuing offense by turning a blind eye to the provisions required by the law before eviction can be done—basic of which is relocation whether temporary or permanent. The National Housing Authority (NHA) declared two days ago, before the demolition of the residents in Paranaque, that they have 3,800 available housing units. We do believe that providing housing to the 100 victims of the demolition is the right thing to do, especially since there are thousands of idle housing units in the relocation areas. Awarding some of these houses to the victims would make the government agency more human,” pahayag ni Murphy.