[RE: AHRC-HAC-005-2015: PHILIPPINES: Stop demolition against Laguna Lakeshore Community in Taguig
Dear Friends,
The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received updated information from Defend Job Philippines about the ongoing demolition and evictions targeting the urban poor community of the Laguna Lakeshore area of Taguig City. The authorities have already demolished the houses of community members living in C6 Road, Barangay Napindan, on April 30, 2015 and are going ahead with the drive. The AHRC is very concerned at the development and urges the Philippines government to honour its national and international obligations and stop the drive and evictions immediately.
UPDATED INFORMATION:
The City Government of Taguig has renewed its demolition drive against the urban poor families living in the Laguna Lakeshore area of Taguig City after a brief lull. As the AHRC has reported in its previous hunger alert, the City authorities began the drive, serving a notice of self-eviction/demolition to the families, on March 17, 2015, and forcibly demolished a few houses on March 19, 2015. The authorities also confiscated whatever little personal belongings the households had like kitchen utensils, blankets, papaya trees, wood, lumber, and padlocks.
After sitting quiet for a while, the authorities have now restarted the drive against the Community. Armed with a demolition team, together with a 300 strong contingent of joint forces of the Philippine National Police and the Public Order and Safety Office (POSO), they targeted the families living in C6 Road, Barangay Napindan, at 7 a.m. on April 30, 2015. The joint forces were led by Mr. Agapito Cruz of the Urban Poor Affairs Office of the Taguig City government. There were no representatives of the Commission on Human Rights, Department of Social Welfare, and Development and Department of Interior, and Local Government with the demolition team.
The time of demolition seems to have been chosen shrewdly on this occasion as the officers of Pinagsamang Maralita ng C6 Road Incorporation (PIMACRI), an organization of C6 Road urban poor residents, were on their way to the City Hall of Taguig for a meeting with Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano at 10 a.m. They were disallowed from meeting the Mayor; their letter requesting the same was not given priority by the Mayor’s office. They then went to the Urban Poor Affairs Office but were tersely told that their plea cannot be considered as the office was conducting a demolition in their community already.
Meanwhile, the team demolished the house of Almaro Almeni, a 60-year-old elderly man, despite his illness. Almaro panicked. Mr. Jr. Victorez, his neighbour, and also an affected resident, helped Almaro and begged the policemen and demolition team to stop the demolition of Almaro’s house. The policemen responded to this by handcuffing Victorez and placing him in a government vehicle. They released Victorez only after completely demolishing the house of Almaro.
The residents and leaders of PIMACRI returned to the community in the morning only to find their homes destroyed. The demolition team did not spare the houses that were closed or padlocked either; so several community members lost their chance of collecting personal belongings and valuables.
When Mrs. Oliva Lognasen, an officer of PIMACRI, tried to document the incident through her camera, the police ordered her not to do so and tried to confiscate her camera. They also tried to drag her to their vehicle while threatening her with arrest if she did not stop taking videos and pictures. She, however, resisted and escaped from the hands of the police.
The residents, in the meantime, tried to negotiate with the Philippine National Police and POSO by showing them the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum stating the right of the urban poor to decent housing; however they turned a deaf ear. The residents further asked the authorities not to confiscate their belongings and property. But the demolition personnel continued to load them in the truck; ultimately the residents collectively managed to defend some of their remaining belongings and stopped the demolition team from taking them away.
The demolition team then moved from this community to New Lower Bicutan and Lower Bicutan at noon and continued the operation there until 3 p.m.
The POSO personnel then took over the job of clearing the demolition sites from May 1 to 7, 2015. In one such clearing operation, Mr. Rodrigo Domopog, one of the members of affected families, tried to stop the POSO personnel from confiscating his belongings and property. At that time, Mr. Domopog’s wife was in the hospital taking care of a relative. Instead, the POSO personnel hit Mr. Domopog in the head and arrested him. He was later released without charge.
The demolitions have affected more than 130 families from seven barangay of Laguna Lakeshore Community in Taguig, namely Barangay Napindan, Calsada, Hagonoy, Ibayo-Tipas, New Lower and Lower Bicutan. The families affected by the drives took shelter in the covered court of Barangay Calsada from April 30 to May 2, 2015. They have been provided with limited food packets and nine pieces of mattresses by local government representatives but nothing else. They were later asked to leave and were not allowed to stay in that place anymore.
Left with no option, the families are living in the makeshift tents in adjoining areas. The AHRC has learnt that, as of now, the families have no food to eat and no water to drink. Further, POSO personnel are guarding them 24/7 and confiscating their remaining belongings.
Additional Information:
Under the Public Private Partnership Program of President Aquino, the construction of C6 Road is part of the Laguna Lake Development Project, which also includes massive reclamation of lakewaters, construction of a road, dike, Taguig Lakeshore Project, resorts, restaurants, mall, condominiums, and business establishments. The project is the biggest PPP project worth P 123 billion. Giant businessmen are investing in these PPP projects headed by multinational corporations and big banks such as the Asian Development Bank, Dutch Pension Fund, and Macquarie, with local counterparts – Henry Sy of SMDC, Ayala of Ayala Land, Manny Pangilinan of Metro Pacific Group, and Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corporations.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please express your concern and anger against the ongoing demolition drive and serious violation of the human rights of community members.
The AHRC is writing a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing as a Component of the Right to an Adequate Standard of Living, and on the Right to Non-Discrimination, seeking her intervention.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ___________,
PHILIPPINES: Authorities continue demolition drive against Laguna Lakeshore Community
Name of the Victims: 130 Families of Laguna Lakeshore area
Date and Time of Incident: Ongoing since 19 March, 2015
Place of Incident: Taguig City, The Philippines
I am writing to you with grave concern for the urban poor families living in the Laguna Lakeshore area of the Taguig city. As you must be aware of, the City Government of Taguig has renewed its demolition drive against the urban poor families living in the Laguna Lakeshore area of Taguig City after a brief lull. As the AHRC has reported in its previous hunger alert, the City authorities began the drive, serving a notice of self-eviction/demolition to the families, on March 17, 2015, and forcibly demolished a few houses on March 19, 2015. The authorities also confiscated whatever little personal belongings the households had like kitchen utensils, blankets, papaya trees, wood, lumber, and padlocks.
After sitting quiet for a while, the authorities have now restarted the drive against the Community. Armed with a demolition team, together with a 300 strong contingent of joint forces of the Philippine National Police and the Public Order and Safety Office (POSO), they targeted the families living in C6 Road, Barangay Napindan, at 7 a.m. on April 30, 2015. The joint forces were led by Mr. Agapito Cruz of the Urban Poor Affairs Office of the Taguig City government. There were no representatives of the Commission on Human Rights, Department of Social Welfare, and Development and Department of Interior, and Local Government with the demolition team.
The time of demolition seems to have been chosen shrewdly on this occasion as the officers of Pinagsamang Maralita ng C6 Road Incorporation (PIMACRI), an organization of C6 Road urban poor residents, were on their way to the City Hall of Taguig for a meeting with Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano at 10 a.m. They were disallowed from meeting the Mayor; their letter requesting the same was not given priority by the Mayor’s office. They then went to the Urban Poor Affairs Office but were tersely told that their plea cannot be considered as the office was conducting a demolition in their community already.
Meanwhile, the team demolished the house of Almaro Almeni, a 60-year-old elderly man, despite his illness. Almaro panicked. Mr. Jr. Victorez, his neighbour, and also an affected resident, helped Almaro and begged the policemen and demolition team to stop the demolition of Almaro’s house. The policemen responded to this by handcuffing Victorez and placing him in a government vehicle. They released Victorez only after completely demolishing the house of Almaro.
The residents and leaders of PIMACRI returned to the community in the morning only to find their homes destroyed. The demolition team did not spare the houses that were closed or padlocked either; so several community members lost their chance of collecting personal belongings and valuables.
When Mrs. Oliva Lognasen, an officer of PIMACRI, tried to document the incident through her camera, the police ordered her not to do so and tried to confiscate her camera. They also tried to drag her to their vehicle while threatening her with arrest if she did not stop taking videos and pictures. She, however, resisted and escaped from the hands of the police.
The residents, in the meantime, tried to negotiate with the Philippine National Police and POSO by showing them the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum stating the right of the urban poor to decent housing; however they turned a deaf ear. The residents further asked the authorities not to confiscate their belongings and property. But the demolition personnel continued to load them in the truck; ultimately the residents collectively managed to defend some of their remaining belongings and stopped the demolition team from taking them away.
The demolition team then moved from this community to New Lower Bicutan and Lower Bicutan at noon and continued the operation there until 3 p.m.
The POSO personnel then took over the job of clearing the demolition sites from May 1 to 7, 2015. In one such clearing operation, Mr. Rodrigo Domopog, one of the members of affected families, tried to stop the POSO personnel from confiscating his belongings and property. At that time, Mr. Domopog’s wife was in the hospital taking care of a relative. Instead, the POSO personnel hit Mr. Domopog in the head and arrested him. He was later released without charge.
The demolitions have affected more than 130 families from seven barangay of Laguna Lakeshore Community in Taguig, namely Barangay Napindan, Calsada, Hagonoy, Ibayo-Tipas, New Lower and Lower Bicutan. The families affected by the drives took shelter in the covered court of Barangay Calsada from April 30 to May 2, 2015. They have been provided with limited food packets and nine pieces of mattresses by local government representatives but nothing else. They were later asked to leave and were not allowed to stay in that place anymore.
Left with no option, the families are living in the makeshift tents in adjoining areas. The AHRC has learnt that, as of now, the families have no food to eat and no water to drink. Further, POSO personnel are guarding them 24/7 and confiscating their remaining belongings.
I, therefore, urge you to ensure that;
1. The affected families are provided with decent and adequate housing that is not located far from their source of livelihood, place of children’s education, and social services;
2. Adequate compensation for all belongings and properties destroyed and/or confiscated during the demolition drive is given to the families;
3. The families are provided with enough financial and material assistance for their rehabilitation as well as for immediate needs such as food, water, medicine, and clothing.
4. The personnel responsible for physical attacks on Almaro Almeni, 60 years, and Mr. Rodrigo Domopog, are identified and prosecuted.
Yours Sincerely,
----------------
PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Benigno Simeon Aquino III
President
Republic of the Philippines
Malacanang Palace
JP Laurel Street, San Miguel
Manila 1005
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 736 1010
EMAIL: op@president.gov.ph
2. Ms. Loretta Ann Rosales
Commission on Human Rights
SAAC Bldg., Commonwealth Avenue
U.P. Complex, Diliman
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 2 929 0102
Tel: +63 2 928 5655 / 926 6188
EMAIL: chair.rosales.chr@gmail.com
3. Corazon Juliano-Soliman
Secretary, Department of Social, Welfare and Development
Constitution Hills, Batasan Pambansa Complex,
Quezon City
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +63 (2) 931-81-91
4.Senator Pia S. Cayetano
Senate Office: Rm. 505 & 18 GSIS Bldg,
Financial Center, Roxas Blvd., Pasay City
PHILIPPINES
Fax: (632) 552-6684
EMAIL: pia@senatorpiacayetano.com
5. Jaime E. Varela - Executive Assistant
Philippine Commission of Urban Poor
Office of the Chairman
Addr: 4th floor, DHC Bldg. 1115 EDSA,
Project 7, 1105 Quezon City
Fax: (02) 410-46-91
EMAIL: jaimevarela1015@yahoo.com
6. Mayor Lani Cayetano
57 General Luna Street
Brgy. Tuktukan
1637, Taguig
PHILIPPINES
Fax: +632 6423588
EMAIL: pio@taguig.gov.ph
7. Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing as a Component of the Right to an Adequate Standard of Living, and on the Right to Non-Discrimination in this Context
Room 4-066/010
UNOG-OHCHR
1211 Geneva 10
SWITZERLAND
Fax: +41 22 917 9010
(ATTENTION: SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ADEQUATE HOUSING)
EMAIL: urgent-action@ohchr.org
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
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