House Speaker takes on mayor's challenge

DAVAO CITY, Philippines - House Speaker Prospero Nograles accepted Friday the challenge of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to take the lead in solving the problem of house foreclosures by Balikatan Financial Services in Davao City. In a text message Friday morning, Nograles reacted to the Sun.Star Davao headline on Thursday, saying he is willing to "partner" with Mayor Duterte and the City Council to find "solutions to the housing problem of Davao." "I could provide national support and even funding from various housing agencies to achieve the public interest and public good to benefit Davao City. When national and local leaders join hands to solve a common problem, the chances of success are beyond expectations," Nograles said. "Housing can't be solved purely on the local or purely on the national level. Its solution lies in the common efforts and goals to attain the same objective," the Speaker added. Duterte on Wednesday said that should Nograles want to shoulder the problem of homeowners facing foreclosure from Balikatan, the mayor would gladly hand such matter over to him. "Dili pa ko ana, makuhaan akong problema. Ihansak nako ni niya kung angkunon niya ning problema. Basi naa pa siya'y gusto tabangon nga problema sa siyudad kay hatagan nako siya," Duterte said to the media gathered at the City Hall Wednesday afternoon. "Wala man gyud ko nanginlabot ani pero kay atong mga katawhan nangayo man ug tabang, akong trabaho ni nga tabangan sila because Congress has not yet done anything," Duterte said. Duterte decided to intervene in the matter due to the clamor of some 6,000 homeowners in the Davao City who will soon forfeit the rights to their homes. The mayor promised them that he will have somebody talk to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and ask her for help. If this does not prove effective, Duterte said he will provide legal and financial aids to the affected families so that the homeowners could get a restraining order from the court to stop the foreclosure activities. This Christmas, however, Balikatan has offered some respite by temporarily suspending the serving of foreclosure notices. - Sun.Star Davao