Urban poor group occupy housing project for police and military

June 13, 2018

An urban poor group occupied a housing project near a zoo in Rodriguez, Rizal on Wednesday and claimed it as their own as they alleged that the homes have been idle for more than years and should be given to the poor.

The housing project is one of the idle Philippine National Police (PNP) housing sites in Montalban, Rizal,  but one of the members of the group that entered the site claimed that there is a law allowing them to occupy them.

Lilybeth Gelit, spokesperson of the Montalban Homeless Alliance said they have been asking to talk to authorities but nothing came of it. "Instead, they have allowed their men or others outside of Montalban to stay there," she said.

A report  from the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) police said around 100 members of Kadamay and Montalban Homeless Alliance stormed the housing project near the Avilon Zoo in Barangay San Isidro at around 5:45 a.m.

In a statement , Kadamay chairperson Gloria Arellano said the housing units   have been idle for more than five years and should be given to the poor.

Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Oscar Albayalde yesterday slammed members of Kadamay who forced their way into the housing project.

Albayalde said the attempt to illegally occupy houses for the police and military by members of urban poor groups sends a wrong signal.

“Anytime they see a vacant housing project, they will just occupy it,” he said in a news briefing in Camp Crame.

Albayalde said protesters  wanted the government pay for all their expenses,such as electricity and wate,r similar to the housing units  for police officers and soldiers in Bulacan which was occupied by members of Kadamay.

Albayalde said it is up to the National Housing Authority  how to solve this. DMS