Urban Poor committee to ask Court demolition in Brgy Carmen delayed

Affected families of the demolition in Barangay Carmen may momentarily make a sigh of relief.

This, after the Committee on Urban & Rural Poor and Housing Development, chaired by Councilor Edgar S. Cabanlas, pushed for a resolution to delay for 6 months the enforcement and implementation of the writ of demolition at a zone in Brgy Carmen as issued by Regional Trial Court Presiding Judge Carolyn Carolyn N. Casiño-Damasing on May 31, 2024.

The counsel of the plaintiff already filed 2 motions in court on March 25 and May 31, 2023 after having found out that some structures of the defendants have not been removed despite the constant issuance of the writ of demolition since November 18, 2022. 

However, the demolition can only be considered executory if it conforms to the guidelines of just and humane demolition and eviction as stipulated in pararagraph 8 section 28 of Republic Act No. 7279, otherwise known as the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992, the Gavel learned. 

Cabanlas, taking up the cudgel for homeless families, said that the local government unit of Cagayan de Oro is preparing the relocation of the families who might be displaced because of the demolition. 

While the power to decide on the matter rests on the court, the city council can only do so much by way of requesting the court to delay the demolition until the relocation project of the government is in place, he added. 

Councilors Roger Abaday, Aga Suan, and Yevona Yacine Emano, who were present during the meeting, also favorably approved the proposal of the committee chair.