Hundreds of residents residing in Legaspi Street in Brgy. 654, Intramuros could be displaced as early as tomorrow should a private company push through demolition, per a notice issued by a court order early this month.

This demolition threat looms over the urban poor community–primarily composed of pedicab drivers, street vendors, and small rental houses for students and workers–amid the lack of proper documentary requirements. According to the residents, a private company ordering their demolition has secured a pre-demolition conference clearance sans consultation with the community.

Prerequisite to such clearance is a series of dialogues with the affected community and a presentation of a relocation site. However, neither has a relocation site been presented nor has the private company reached out to the community members.

The private company, which has claimed ownership of their land since the mid-2000s, remains unknown to the urban poor residents. Even court documents do not mention the company’s identity. It was only last September 11 when the residents finally heard of the finality of the court order for demolition.

“As much as no demolition at all would be the most ideal for these poor families that are still suffering from the ongoing crisis, [we] are currently campaigning for relocation and relief amid the pandemic, not demolition of [our] homes,” the residents wrote in a unity statement, enclosed in a petition of the Tulong Kabataan Intramuros, a group of student volunteers aiding urban poor communities during the pandemic.

The residents also slam the callousness of the court and local authorities in failing to halt the dubious demolition order. Per Memorandum Circular 2020-068 of the Department of Interior and Local Government, issued April 2, no demolition operations shall take place for the duration of the state of national emergency. Just last week, President Rodrigo Duterte has extended until September 2021 his declaration of a state of calamity for the whole country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Residents of the Brgy. 654 have also reached out to Manila Mayor Isko Moreno and the city government, but to no avail since, they claim, the land is already considered a private property due to a court order. The planned demolition is, simply, a “recovery of possession” of a private company.

The Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, which has an oversight function over demolition ops, is yet to concretely act on the residents’ impending displacement, despite the community's lobbying efforts.

With their lost court battles and calls falling on deaf ears, the Brgy. 654 has nothing left but their collective action to fend off any plans to displace them from their homes. They would put up barricades, if necessary, the residents declared in their statement. ●

This article was first published online on September 23, 2020.