TENSION yesterday gripped a property spanning Macabalan and Puntod as residents set up barricades in anticipation of a demolition team after the lapse of a 90-day deadline given by a regional court.
This came even as the Cagayan Integrated Landless Residents Association Incorporated (Cilrai) appealed again for another suspension of the implementation of a demolition order.
Cilrai president Basilio Lobino said the court should suspend the demolition because city hall was still unprepared to move the affected families to a relocation site in Balubal.
The court had given Lobino’s group three months to move out in response to city hall’s promise that it was working to provide the families with a relocation site in Balubal.
Lobino said some of the families were already relocated but many others were still waiting for city hall to give them the go-ahead.
“Kung dili kaya sa city government nga ibalhin ang kinatibuk-an nga membro then they must go for onsite relocation kay mao kana ang kagustuhan sa kinabag-an nga membro,” Lobino said.
He pointed out that the affected families were only occupying only about a hectare of the 12.5-hectare property. Councilor Leon Gan said the court was already informed about the need for more time because the local government’s failure to provide a relocation site for all the affected families.
“We have filed another manifestation after we took pictures and footages of the relocation sites in Barangay Balubal that were still unfinished. Dili paigo sa tanan nga affected… Dili pa gyud ready ang relocation sites,” he said. Gan said they were waiting for Judge Arthur Abundiente of the Regional Trial Court Branch 25 to decide on the new petition filed by the affected families.
Gan said other members of the Cilrai also submitted an appeal to the Court of Appeals (CA). “Pero wala kita’y mahimo kung mo-decide gyud ang korte nga adunay demolition,” he said.
Lobino, meanwhile, said Cilrai members would hold the line in a peaceful manner until the city government and court grant their petition. -lito rulona
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