SENATE Majority Leader Vicente Sotto III said President Rodrigo Duterte’s allowing members of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) to keep the housing units in Bulacan they forcibly occupied remains a “mere lip service.’
He said the President’s statements might still be withdrawn in case of legal implications.
He noted that Kadamay members were still considered “informal settlers” until the housing units, originally intended for police and soldiers, were properly turned over to them.
The President, Sotto said, could always withdraw his public pronouncements.
“I think the President is humble enough to admit if he has made a mistake,” he said.
As of now, he said allowing Kadamay members to occupy the units was not a done deal.
“They can be removed anytime if the administration feels that there is a law that will be violated.”
He called on Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea to conduct a thorough study on the matter.
“Right now, they are informal settlers who sere allowed to live there. That’s the situation as of now. There’s no turnover yet, no turnover of papers, no signing, no giving [of whatsoever],” stressed Sotto.
Kadamay members have been occupying some 5,000 vacant housing units in seven housing areas in Bulacan since March 8, prompting the National Housing Authority to give them an ultimatum to vacate the units or face eviction notices.
The NHA later on agreed not to push through with the Kadamay members’ eviction.
At the moment, the NHA has begun its process of profiling the occupied areas in Bulacan to determine whether the occupants can be deemed as “qualified.”