Looters prey on homeless

CEBU - The demolition of 157 houses in Sitio San Miguel, Barangay Apas, Cebu City continued Wednesday 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 yesterday, 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 yesterday 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.

FIVE HOUSES DOWN SO FAR. A demolition crew tugs at the house of Joeman Bandillo, 1 of 5 houses torn down since last Tuesday. The crew is enforcing an order to demolish 157 houses in Barangay Apas, Cebu City. (Ruel Rosello)

The houses that the demolition team targeted yesterday 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.

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Looters prey on homeless