SAMPLE LETTER October 25, 2006 The Honorable Alberto G.
Romulo Secretary of Foreign Affairs Chairman,National Organizing Committee Department of Foreign Affairs PHILIPPINES Fax No. 632 832 1597 Email: osec@dfa.gov.ph Governor Gwendolyn F. Garcia Chair, Cebu Organizing Committee Cebu Provincial Capitol Capitol Site Cebu City, Philippines 6000 Fax Number: (+63) (032) 255-0642 Email: gov@cebu.gov.ph The Honorable Arturo Radaza Office of the City Mayor Lapu-lapu City PHILIPPINES Tele/fax: +63 32 340 0656 Subject: Demolition of Urban Poor Houses, Arrest and Detention of Protesters Greetings. Our organization has received information from civil society organizations in Cebu, Philippines about the September 29, 2006 demolition of 30 shanties affecting 42 families in front of Shangri-la Mactan Island Resort and Spa in Mactan Island, Cebu, the arrest and detention of 12 people who protested against the demolition. The demolition was carried as part of the preparations for the December 2006 12th ASEAN Summit in Cebu. The cleared land will be used as a parking lot for Summit participants. Since the contested land is privately owned, the land claimant should have gone to court to get a demolition order. Instead the local government opted to use presidential decree 1096 of former Dictator Marcos requiring government building permit for house construction which requires a land title to be issued. Obviously squatter families cannot obtain such a permit from city hall. Under Marcos Minister for Public Works and Highways Jesus Hipolito instructed through a July 13, 1984 memorandum to government agencies not to use PD 1096 to demolish squatter houses. The demolition operation was violent. Police used water cannons and truncheons to disperse the barricade put up by members of ASUPA (Atbang Shangrila Urban Poor Association) and students. Scores were hurt, including women and children. Thirteen were arrested with one released at once because he was a minor. The twelve detained are the following: Almarie B. Marzado, 19; Emalyn M. Aliviado, 23; Lourd Sherry V. Perez, 23; Melba C. Ugbinada, 22; Jo Ann L. Martinez, 24; Rosita D. Blando, 54; Ronald A. Sitoy, 21; John Francis B. Aguilar, 19; Jordan M. Jainar, 19; Deogracias J. Cane, 23; Ashbel C. Edao, 19; and Reyneil Jim V. Perez, 22. They are asked to post bail of P80,000 each (US$1,633) or a P960,000 (US$19,591), clearly beyond their means. Their detention is now more than a month.
Recently they have been charged with violation of the child abuse law Republic Act 7619 because they induced a minor, a 16 year old resident, to join in the barricade, a charge they deny. They are in jail with common criminals. As you may know, forced evictions in connection with international events such as summits and conferences violate the guidelines contained in General Comment No. 7: Forced Evictions (1997) issued by the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. The committee is the treaty body of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights which the Philippine government has ratified. The September 29, 2006 forced evictions also violated the instruction of the United Nations Secretary General Kofi Anan which is contained in his Forced Evictions: Analytical Report (1993). Eviction Watch therefore demands that the National Organizing Committee and the Cebu Organizing Committee, including the local government of Lapulapu City: Stop all forced evictions, including those being planned, related to the holding of the ASEAN Summit in December in Cebu City; Pay compensation and provide adequate relocation to the evicted families and observe the other guidelines prescribed by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights in its document The Right to Adequate Housing: Forced Evictions; Release, without bail, immediately the 12 people arrested and detained who protested the September 29, 2006 demolition,
Such actions will most certain show that the ASEAN, beginning with the organizers of its 12 th Summit, are consistent in their avowals of creating a caring and sharing community . Yours truly, Name Organization Country CC: Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal Arroyo President Malacaang Palace JP Laurel Street, San Miguel Manila 1005 Telephone Nos.: 632-735-6201 up to 10; 632-735-6180 Fax Number: 632-733-2107 Mr. Eduardo R. Ermita Executive Secretary, Malacanang Palace Manila Fax no. 632 736 1010 Mr. Ong Keng Yong Secretary-General of ASEAN, The ASEAN Secretariat 70A, Jalan Sisingamangaraja Jakarta 12110 Indonesia Tel : (6221) 7262991, 7243372 Fax : (6221) 7398234, 7243504 Email : termsak@aseansec.org Mr. Miloon Kothari Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing, UN Council on Human Rights
Tel/Fax; 91.11.24358492 E-mail: miloonkothari@vsnl.net Web: www.unhchr.ch/housing : www.ohchr.org/english/issues/housing/index.htm P/Supt. Louie Tiroy Opus Philippine National Police Headquarters (PNP-HQ), City Hall Compound, Pusok Lapu-lapu City PHILIPPINES Tel: +63 32 341 1311 Director General Oscar Calderon Chief of Philippine National Police (PNP), Camp General Rafael Crame Quezon City PHILIPPINES Tel: +63 2 726 4361/4366/8763 Fax: +63 2 724 8763 E-mail: ocpnp@pnp.gov.ph Mrs. Persida V. Rueda-Acosta Chief of Public Attorney Office (PAO) DOJ Agencies Building, NIA Road East Avenue 1104 Quezon City PHILIPPINES Tel. No. +63 2 929 9010 / 9436 Fax No. +63 2 927 6810 / 926 2878 Email: chiefacosta@edsamail.com.ph Ms Leila Zerrougui Chairperson Working Group on arbitrary detention OHCHR-UNOG 1211 Geneva 10 SWITZERLAND Fax: +41 22 917 9006
