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Squatters: The #1 Problem of Zamboanga City

By: Zamboanga.com Editorial  -  May 12, 2003

The City of Zamboanga is being overrun by squatters, and the city government is protecting them! As a result, squatting has become a very big and profitable undertaking in the City of Flowers.

Squatting is the act of settlement on unoccupied land without legal claim or of occupying a given piece of public land in order to acquire title to it. In Zamboanga, squatters have taken the art of squatting into a much higher and more aggressive form of settlement, even blatantly building their illegal shacks on occupied properties. Everywhere you look, they dot the edges of the riverbanks with their shanties, and on some absentee property owners' land.  A good visual example can be seen on the Murga's property bordering the Tumaga River.

Some squatters have even upped the ante on shack-building and use concrete blocks to build permanent homes instead. These permanent dwellings are quite expensive to build, ironically challenging the established notion that these squatters are poor, "homeless" people.  Many of these squatters are refugees from all around Mindanao, Visayas, the Sulu Archipelago, and more recently the thousands of "deportees" from Malaysia - that's right, many of them stayed behind in Malacañang's dumping ground.

These concrete squatter shacks are usually the lucky ones when it comes time for the city to do their annual cleanup of these illegal structures. Now, don’t get your hopes up just yet on the city government’s effort to clean up this squatters mess. How they do it is quite scientific – they just wait for the first big flood to wipe out these illegal shanties, and then wash their hands on fixing the problem until next year’s storms. It’s quite effortless really, and purely Zamboangueño in practice.  What a system!

The squatters invariably collect themselves into an organized group with a fearless leader and a defense department, ready to do deadly battle with the legal property owner when they are discovered and asked to leave. They quickly learn, and are well taught, that their band of brotherhood can now become a prized political weapon in terms of votes.

It is not far-fetched to present a rationalization that some rich local developer can hire out these "professional" squatters into a designated land that the developer wants and cannot legally buy from the owner, and later acquire the property for almost nothing after these sponsored squatters stake their claim on the targeted land, and with the constitutional help of the local and national government. What a business!

Many legal property owners have tried to extradite these squatters from their land, but city hall will not help them in eradicating these public pests. Instead, the city government will require the property owner to "relocate" these squatters from their property at their own expense and then placed at the sole discrepancy of the city official’s "voting districts."

It is often a losing battle for the property owners to try and expel these squatters legally, causing some to hire other private means to do the job at a much higher expense. Once the city establishes a case of squatter complaint, they tend not to let go of their new-found voting weapon. The city government does not believe in upholding the law of illegal trespassing, and protecting its legal property owners from aggressive squatters. Wherever the political tide sways, it is usually the way the city government points its enormous rudder of corruption.

People wonder why Zamboanga doesn’t get its fair share of investment monies, especially from rich property owners who live overseas. Well, people can look no further than their own government for the cause, and their predisposition for lusting over the political power of squatting. It is their favorite form when sitting in office.

It is probably doubtful that the city mayor knows about this number one problem of the city. Even if she does, it may be beyond her power of influence to correct it. We would like to think on the bright side instead and hope Mayor Caling Lobregat does something positive to correct this atrocity.

IMPORTANT ADVICE:  (updated 07/30/2003)

 

The city government must be united and unanimous in its quest to eradicate Zamboanga City of its #1 problem: SQUATTERS!!!

 

It is a well-known fact to the international community that Malacañang Palace is intentionally dumping its enormous refugee problem in the southern Philippines squarely on the City of Zamboanga!  It is doing so without any tacitly declared offers of monetary assistance to the city, in hopes of housing their diverted refugee problem.  It also hasn't made any real offer to help the city re-settle the country's refugees proportionately into many other Philippine cities or provinces.  This Malacañang offer is desperately needed in order to help alleviate, and greatly reduce, the stress their catastrophic national refugee problem is visibly causing the lone City of Zamboanga monetarily, socially, and geo-politically.

 

It is however doubtful that Malacañang Palace will ever make a concerted public effort to assist Zamboanga City in relocating the country's southern refugees as the Manila-centric national government doesn't want anything to do with the mostly Muslim-oriented nature of its refugee citizens.

 

Can you imagine the thought of even a mere 10,000 refugees, of the over 300,000 who have fled or been dumped into Zamboanga in the recent past, being shipped to the national capital of Manila for genuine resettlement purposes?  Never in our lifetime!

 

That is why the city government must be steadfast in its foremost goal of protecting the legal land-owning citizens of its city, then act deliberately and methodically in its eradication efforts firstly and resettlement program secondly.

 

It should be properly noted that for the better part, many of the recent refugees into the city have legally blended into the social and business fabric of the city, adding to its core reputation as the melting pot of this vibrant region.  However, there are many still who have taken the sinister road into illegal activities and are causing havoc on the docile and peace-loving citizens of Zamboanga, and they have ultimately chosen the criminal act of squatting in order to stake their residential claim on a piece of the city of flowers, or city of squatters?

 

The one major factor needed for accomplishing this LEGAL task is the inherent role of the Zamboanga City Police Department.

 

It is a proven visible fact that the Zamboanga City Police Department is NOT doing its constitutional responsibility of protecting the legal land-owning citizens of Zamboanga City against the crime of illegal squatting!  The numerous visible evidence of their sheer incompetence and wanton inactivity, or response, is strewn everywhere, all around the city!!!  What on earth are these city policemen hired and paid to do?  Sit around and collect their civil service paychecks?  It's a simple equation: you commit a crime, you'll do some time!

 

It is also a sad and incompetent reflection on the constitutional responsibility and accountability of the City Attorney's office!  Without the close and judicious collaboration of these two legal arms of the city government, there will be a continuation and proliferation of these illegal squatting activities.  What will it take for all of you to get your acts together and fulfill your legal community duties?  Just in case you forgot, we attached your duties below, Mr. Attorney!

 

Listen-up: all that the legal land-owning citizens of this city asks is for all of you to do your jobs properly and get rid of these illegal squatters - now!  The well-meaning urban poor supporters do not want their names or political supporters to be associated with these illegal squatting activities.  If they on the other hand support these dastardly squatting deeds, then they too are accessory to the criminal act and should be accorded their repercussions.  Eventually, you can all work together in resolving the urban poor issues, but there must be no considerations for any illegal squatting activities - they must be eradicated now!

Section 19 — The City Attorney.  (from The City Charter of Zamboanga)

 

There shall be a City Attorney who shall be the chief legal adviser of the City, and who shall have the following general powers and duties:

 

(a)   He shall represent the City in all civil cases wherein the City or any officer thereof, in his capacity, is a party.

 

(b)  He shall, when required, draw ordinances, contracts, bonds, leases, and other instruments involving any interest of the City, and inspect and pass upon any such instruments already drawn.

 

(c)  He shall give his opinion in writing when requested by the Mayor or the Council, upon any question relating to the City or the rights and duties of any City officials.

 

(d)  He shall, whenever it is brought to his knowledge that any City officials is guilty of neglect or misconduct in office, or that any person, firm, or corporation holding or exercising any franchise or public privilege from the City, has failed to comply with any condition or to pay any consideration mentioned in the grant of such franchise or privilege, investigate the same and report to the Mayor.

 

(e)   He shall have charge of the prosecution of all crimes and misdemeanors and violations of law or City ordinance, triable in the Municipal Court and justice of the peace courts in the Island of Basilan. The provincial fiscal of Zamboanga shall have charge of all prosecutions of crimes, misdemeanors, and violations of law or City ordinance appealed to, or brought before, the court of first instance of Zamboanga.

 

(f)    He shall investigate all charges of crimes, misdemeanors, and violations of City ordinances and prepare the necessary information or make the necessary complaints against the person accused, and discharge all other duties in respect to criminal prosecutions enjoined upon provincial fiscals generally.

 

(g)  He may conduct investigations in respect to crimes, misdemeanors, and violations of ordinances by taking oral evidence of reputable witness, and for this purpose may, be subpoena, summon witnesses to appear and testify under oath before him, and the attendance of an absent or recalcitrant witness may be enforced by application to the Municipal Court or the court of first instance of the province of Zamboanga.

 

(h)  He shall cause to be investigated the causes of sudden deaths which have not been satisfactorily explained and when there is suspicion that the causes arose from unlawful acts or omission of other persons or from foul play. For that purpose he may cause autopsies to be made in case it is demand necessary, and shall be entitled to demand and receive for repurposes of such investigations or autopsies of the City health officer.

 

(i)   He shall, when directed by the Mayor, institute and prosecute in the City’s interest a suit on any bond, lease, or other contract and upon any breach or violation thereof.

 

 

Tuesday, July 01, 2003
Mayor warns riverbank dwellers anew
By: Jess E. Alcoran

Sun Star Zamboanga

MAYOR Maria Clara L. Lobregat has reiterated her appeal to residents in the city particularly those living at the riverbanks to relocate themselves.

Mayor Lobregat aired the appeal Monday during a press conference. This, after she inspected the rivers in the city.

She said she was surprised to find out that there were many houses built along the riverbank in Villa Sta. Maria.

Lobregat said considering that Villa Sta. Maria is a private property, she cannot understand why a number of houses were allowed to be built there.

Whenever there are heavy rains, the city's rivers swell and houses made of light materials are being carried away.

Mayor Lobregat also appealed to the residents of the different barangays to take immediate action whenever such calamities occur.

He urged barangay officials to mobilize and assist affected residents fo flash floods.

 

With Letty Militante

Wednesday, July 30, 2003
Tulungatung expenses explained

By: Jess E. Alcoran

Sun Star Zamboanga


ZAMBOANGA City Mayor Maria Clara Lobregat has justified the spending of millions of pesos for site development at the 39-hectare housing and resettlement project at Tulungatung barangay.

Lobregat said that the council knows what is the money is for. She emphasized that the City cannot just spend money without the approval of the City Council.

Lobregat's statements came after Councilor Cesar Jimenez questioned the huge amount of money allotted for the development of the housing site.

Jimenez, in last week's session of the City Council, pointed out that the City already spent almost P100 million for site development at the Tulungatung housing project.

The land was purchased at P50 per sq.m. in 2000.

The City acquired the land for P20 million. "Where can you find such kind of price here in the city?" Mayor Lobregat said.

At present, nine hectares of the 39-hectare land at barangay Tulungatung has been developed.

The City has been identifying lands in the city to be used as resettlement sites for the urban poor. This is in pursuit of the City's campaign against squatting in the city.

Wednesday, August 13, 2003
Enriquez seeks transfer of urban poor group

By: Letty Militante

Sun Star Zamboanga

COUNCILOR Elias Enriquez will recommend the immediate resettlement and transfer of the Urban Poor Association members to the Tulungatung Resettlement area.

The recommendation of Enriquez came after an ocular inspection was held on the resettlement site Monday to check if some P100 million in site development funds were actually invested in the 39-hectare site.

Enriquez said the group who conducted the ocular inspection together with the City’s Engineer Office (CEO) and the Association of City Engineers among others were satisfied with the site development.

Enriquez said the purpose of conducting ocular inspection was to personally see the site development, but not to assess the site development area.

"We went there to see the site development but we can’t assess because we are not in authority," Enriquez said.

Enriquez said the rice field area was already filled up with the filling materials. Among the developments include the road network, filling of materials and among others.

However, Enriquez said they cannot just assess the site development in respect to the total costs because they have no idea about any measurements particularly the costs per square meter of land.

Enriquez further said so far there were already houses built in the area although these were not occupied yet.

Enriquez added that portions of the land were already subdivided.

Wednesday, August 13, 2003
Tulungatung resettlement can accommodate 700 homes

Sun Star Zamboanga

City Engineer Luis Despalo estimated Tuesday that the Tulungatung Resettlement Area can be subdivided into 700 housing lots for Zamboanga’s homeless.

Despalo said the ongoing site development in Tulungatung, which costs P85 million, is halfway complete.

According to Despalo, around 500 household lots are ready for occupancy as these have been properly subdivided and marked with concrete monuments.

He said the P85 million fund includes the road network, drainage system, filling of materials as well as the labeling and excavation among others.

Despalo further said that apparently some 30 to 40 houses are already built in the area and the occupants are those who were affected by the road-widening project of the government along Barangays Cawit and Recodo.

He said his office already prepared the subdivision plan for the 38.6-hectare property.

These lots will be provided with water and power connection from Zamboanga City Water District and the Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative (Zamcelco) respectively.

It was learned that there is still no final listing on who will occupy the lots and priorities will be made on who can occupy the lots including those occupying dangerous places and living along riverbanks. LMM

 

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