Pesina uncovers unqualified recipients in relocation sites
Roy Firmeza, head of the Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (Icupao), has a lot of explaining to do when he faces the members of the Sangguniang Panlungsod regarding the master list of beneficiaries in the different relocation projects in the city.
In yesterday's regular session, City Councilor Antonio Pesina, chair of the committee on urban poor, human rights and minority group, lambasted the Icupao over the housing beneficiaries that do not meet the requirements set forth by the law and other related guidelines.
Pesina, in his privileged speech, even made mention the name of City Budget Officer Ninda Atinadoa as one of the recipients in the Bitoon New Site Project. The councilor only quoted a radio report that included Atinado's name as one of the recipients in the relocation site.
The city government funded P2,850,000 for the procurement of the Bitoon New Site Project. In the Icupao report, the Bitoon relocation can accommodate 358 beneficiaries.
Of the 358 target beneficiaries, 305 homelots were already awarded. The same Icupao report did not identify the recipients but it said home lot boundaries among the recipients must be resolved.
In a radio interview, Atinado admitted she was once a recipient of the Bitoon relocation site. She claimed that she "returned the home lot" to Icupao and asked her husband's aunt Gilda Arguelles to apply for the slot she left.
Atinado claimed the lot was declared vacant and available. It was later awarded to her aunt. However, her aunt sold the right to one Grace Semacio for P265,000.
The city budget officer admitted the sale of the right was also facilitated by some people in the urban poor affairs office. She did not name those Icupao people behind the sale.
Earlier, Pesina demanded the master list of the city's relocation projects as well as the corresponding documents from the Icupao. Atinado is only one of the beneficiaries whose inclusion in the city's relocation site is being questioned.
Sources also said Iloilo City Urban Poor Federation Inc. President Benfred Tacuyan also owns a three-storey house in Bitoon New Site. He was not available at press time to confirm the report.
Tacuyan is one of the three leaders of the urban poor groups that sought the ouster of Pesina as chair of the committee on urban poor.
In an earlier interview, Tacuyan said there is nothing unusual in seeing big houses in the different relocation sites. Sometimes, the recipient have family members abroad supporting them.
Earlier, the Sangguniang Panlungsod passed a resolution for the Icupao to apply for subdivision plans with the city government.
The office also has to formulate and recommend policies on Housing Resettlement Program for the approval of the legislative body. They are also to design and propose on-site developments utilizing city lots, government land and public domain in accordance with existing guidelines.