THE National Housing Authority stood its ground to adhere to the rule of law and proceed legally with the eviction of those who illegally occupied government housing units in Bulacan’s Pandi and San Jose del Monte.
General Manager Marcelino Escalada Jr. vowed to exhaust all legal and “peaceful” means to solve the issue.
“The NHA will come up with housing programs and projects appropriate to their needs with necessary budget from the national government and we will advocate and aggressively pursue this for the funding in 2018 and beyond,” he said.
The relocation of qualified housing beneficiaries to the unoccupied housing units is scheduled this summer break to accommodate the school-age children of families and their enrollment in their new local schools, he said.
“We ask them to vacate the units and follow the housing procedures, like answering the housing information form, screening process and awarding/beneficiary selection,” he added.
“Dialogues and negotiations are ongoing. Let it be as a matter of declaration, we will never allow any mob rule and such act has no place in a civilized society.”
President Rodrigo Duterte told the occupants that “if you want to ignore the law, you cannot do that. I will force the issue with eviction.”
But he assured the urban poor group that “there is enough money now to go around…I can give some but not all, but you will have if you want. Let’s have a dialogue.”
To date, there are 324 members of the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap who illegally occupied 3,500 housing units in seven NHA project sites in Bulacan.
“We are sad it happened this way, yet let this be reminder to government to act now and provide housing to those who need it most the most,” said Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr., who is also the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council chairperson.
The housing units are earmarked for low-salaried uniformed personnel of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire and Protection, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and Metro Manila informal settler families living along danger zones and waterways.
“In effect, their illegal occupation deprives the intended awardees of their right to government housing assistance,” the agency said.