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CEBU CITY, Philippines - They thought things had been settled eight years ago. But Bucao family members were forced to again seek the court’s intervention when the Cebu City government recently informed them once more that their home would be demolished.
Siblings Arlene, Marlon and Wedminda Bucao of barangay Pahina Central yesterday filed in court a petition for injunction and temporary restraining order against City Hall to stop the demolition of their home.
The Bucaos said City Hall went back on their promise made before former regional trial court executive judge Galicano Arriesgado not to demolish their house until the government had a project that needed the property.
The agreement reached between City Hall and the family was made on May 29, 2000 before then Judge Arriesgado.
But then City Hall’s Squatters Prevention and Encroachment Elimination Division (Speed) served the Bucaos a notice on May 29, 2007 ordering the family to vacate.
Last Oct. 10, the family received another notice to vacate, with Speed saying it was a “reiteration of an earlier notice” pursuant to a letter of a lawyer, Jose J. Lim. The notice said failure of the family to vacate would be answered with a “strict provision of the law.”
The Bucaos, through counsel Eugene Sumampong, said a mere letter of a lawyer should not be the basis for demolition as stated under section 28 of the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992.
Sumampong also said that the demolition order violated the same law, which states that the government must give a relocation site to a dweller whose house is subject for demolition.
Also, the lawyer said the Bucaos never received a copy of the demolition order, just the notice from SPEED.
