Senate, House probe to resume next week

MANILA, Philippines - The militant urban poor group Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) has been attempting to break into other government housing projects intended for low-salaried members of the uniformed services to replicate their success in Bulacan, officials said yesterday.

The joint inquiry by the Senate and House of Representatives into the government’s socialized housing program will resume next week.

Sources from the Armed Forces and Philippine National Police (PNP) said guards have been deployed at the entrances of a housing project in Laguna to prevent a repeat of the takeover of more than 5,000 units in Pandi and San Jose del Monte in Bulacan last March.

Sources disclosed that PNP personnel monitored some vehicles going around the Laguna housing project, counting the unoccupied units.

The “elderly and poor” occupants of the vehicles were apparently brought along by the individuals who were making the inventory.

When questioned by the PNP guards, the occupants of the vehicles admitted they were not from the National Housing Authority (NHA).

The intended beneficiaries of the housing program are members of the Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Corrections and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.

Last March, leaders of Kadamay led thousands of urban poor families in occupying 5,278 housing units in Bulacan.

President Duterte was forced to give the housing units to Kadamay members for free after they refused to leave.

There were also reported attempts by the Kadamay to occupy other housing projects in Rizal.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, chairman of the Senate committee on housing, inspected last week government housing projects in Rizal and Laguna.

Negros Occidental Rep. Alfredo Benitez, chairman of the House panel, earlier warned of the possible collapse of the government’s housing programs after several beneficiaries refused to pay their monthly amortization to the NHA, saying thousands of shelters were given to Kadamay members for free.