Demolition in Apas halted

CEBU -- The demolition of 157 houses in Sitio San Miguel, Barangay Apas, Cebu City continued on Thursday but was marred by a looting incident that led the official in charge to suspend it.

About 15 families in Sitio San Miguel, Barangay Apas filed another petition to save their houses from being demolished. Two other motions, which asked the court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO), have failed.

But the families said the unreasonable rush to demolish ignores so many other equally important issues unresolved.

Without any last-minute save from the court on Thursday, it was the looting, instead, that bought the residents some time because it forced the court sheriff to stop the wrecking crew for about four hours.

Around 8:30 a.m., a 200-man demolition team started the second day of the demolition on a property owned by Aletha Suico-Magat.

The demolition pushed through despite the appeal of Apas barangay captain Ramil Ayuman to court sheriff Edilberto Suarin Thursday morning to put it on hold, since the court has yet to act on the motion for temporary restraining order (TRO) filed by lawyer Feliciano Payot, who represents majority of the residents.

The houses that the demolition team targeted on Thursday belonged to those who received financial assistance from Magat in the past years.

The owners of the two houses that were first demolished last Tuesday have also received financial assistance from Magat.

According to Suarin, seven out of the 157 families already received cash aid, in varying amounts that depend on the type of structure built.

More than two hours after the demolition started, however, Suarin suspended it after barangay tanods and policemen apprehended a 16-year-old boy who was caught getting wires, a radio, blower and hair iron from one of the houses being demolished.

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Demolition in Apas halted