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KADAMAY group occupies more idle gov’t housing units in Bulacan


Members of militant urban poor workers' group have occupied another cluster of idle government housing units in a subdivision in Bulacan province.

GMA News' Mav Gonzales reported Friday morning on "Unang Balita" that some 2,000 members of the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (KADAMAY), an urban poor alliance, broke through the barricade at the entrance of the Pandi Village 3 on Thursday evening.  

Gonzales reported that KADAMAY members gathered in the streets at about 8 p.m. and stayed overnight as they forcibly occupy the vacant housing units in the village. 

Last Wednesday, the same group occupied Pandi Village 2 , but later withdrew as the housing units there were not ready for occupancy --some being under construction and some other units have no water and power supplies.

To avoid conflict in the area, security guards had allowed KADAMAY members to get through the barricade, but warned residents that some members of the group were allegedly armed.

"'Di maiwasan na magkaroon ng kaba at nerbyos. Kahit ako nangamba ako dahil may pamilya ako...Meron nga raw diyan na nangahas pumasok ng bahay. May sumigaw na 'wag niyong galawin 'yan may nakatira diyan. Sinaway naman ng mga kasamahan [nila]," one of Pandi Village 3 residents said.

"Malaking epekto sa aming mga naninirahan dito ng ligal...," the resident added.

Legitimate residents pointed out that they had to go through a long process before their units were finally given to them to occupy. 

"May mga proseso tayo na dapat sundin. 'Di na lang basta-basta sila lumusob na mangunguha ng mga bahay na walang tao. Kahit may tao pinapasok nila," said Daisy Torrevillas, President of the Pandi 3 Homeowners Association.

"Natatakot ang mga residente [na baka may nakahalo] sa kanila na mga magnanakaw kasi 'di nila ma-itemize ang mga taong kasama nila," she added.

KADAMAY president Beth Guerrero belied the allegations that some of their members were armed. But she admitted she cannot readily confirm if all of those who joined the "Occupy Pandi move" were members of the alliance. 

"'Di namin masasabi 100 percent puro KADAMAY, dahil sa gate na yan kahit 'di naman miyembro ... pwedeng makisama lang sa pagpasok," she said.

Based on KADAMAY's inventory,  there are 615 vacant housing units in Pandi Village 3, and that the group is set to occupy those idle units, the report said.

KADAMAY also admitted that its leaders have yet to talk with National Housing Authority officials.

NHA's Pandi 3 housing project was intended for Philippine National Police (PNP) and Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) personnel.

But KADAMAY members insisted that the NHA should give the units to them because these are not being used by anyone.

"Ang hinihingi talaga namin sa NHA maibigay na samin. Kasi kami hirap na hirap na mangupahan. Wala kaming bahay na sarili, eh ang daming bahay na nakatengga lang dito," KADAMAY member Minerva Sugarol said. 

Meanwhile, Guerrero remained firm on the gorup's resolve to occupy the vacant units.

"Inaangkin lang namin at aangkinin lang namin ang mga bahay ng NHA. Yung mga may nakatira 'di namin papasok[in]. Mga organisado kami. Hindi namin kailangan ng gulo basta't maayos lang nila kami," Guerrero said.

On the other hand, Police authorities said Thursday that they will only monitor the situation.

"Ang presence ng pulis pag-monitor lang, kung may bayolanteng aksyon tsaka tayo lalapit sa kanila. May inaantay na dialogue sa kanila bukas (Friday)," Michael Bernardo of the Bulacan Provincial Police Office said.

KADAMAY members have started cleaning the idle units, which will be raffled off this Friday among its members. 

 

 

 

—Marlly Rome C. Bondoc/LBG, GMA News

Tags: kadamay, occupybulacan
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