Urban poor leader defends Icupao's Firmeza
For Iloilo City Urban Poor Federation Inc. President Benfred Tacuyan, requiring the Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (Icupao) head Roy Firmeza to submit the master list and corresponding documents of beneficiaries in the city's resettlement sites could hamper the work of the said office.
Tacuyan is one of the three urban poor group leaders who asked for the ouster of Councilor Antonio Pesina, chair of the committee on urban poor, human rights and minority of the Sangguniang Panlungsod.
The two other leaders who called for the councilor's resignation are Belen Peñaflor of the KABALAKA/Homeless Peoples Federation of the Philippines Inc and Paterno Licuran, of Iloilo Community Federation.
In a press interview, Tacuyan said the Icupao could not focus their work in the different relocation sites once the council started to dissect the names of the beneficiaries and the tailing issues relative to the different relocation sites.
The city council passed a resolution requiring Firmeza to appear before the body to explain his alleged bribe attempt on Pesina and explain his continuous refusal to provide the council the list of qualified beneficiaries and their corresponding documents. Firmeza denied Pesina's allegation. The Icupao head is expected to attend this Wednesday's session.
Councilor Pesina alleged Firmeza offered him P50,000 to approve the sale of the property of Rogelio Tarrosa in Barangay Lanit, Jaro. The Icupao chief recommended the procurement of the property for the relocation site.
Tacuyan believes there is "transparency" in the operation of the Icupao in the different relocation and on-site projects of the city government. He said the urban poor affairs office has been "responsive" to the needs of the urban poor.
The Iloilo City Urban Poor Federation Inc, KABALAKA/Homeless Peoples Federation of the Philippines Inc. and Iloilo Federation of Community Federation are under the umbrella of the Iloilo City Urban Poor Network. They had been working with the city government since 2001.
In the same interview, Tacuyan admitted that "socialized housing projects" are prone to corruption. "Whatever program is prone to corruption." He, did not categorically say on whether the city's relocation projects are also ridden with corruption.
Surprisingly, Tacuyan's right to possess a home lot in Barangay Bitoon New Site, Jaro relocation site is being questioned by Councilor Pesina. The home lot was named after his father's and a two-storey house sits in the awarded home lot.
The discovery of the Tacuyan's right to possess a home lot in the relocation site came in after the urban poor leader and his group called for a press conference. Days after the interview with Tacuyan, the committee on urban poor began their investigation on the different relocation and on-site projects in the city.
The members of the council have the right to disapprove those beneficiaries who they deemed are not qualified to avail of the government's relocation sites. The list of the beneficiaries will be scrutinized during the deliberation on the repayment scheme, said Tacuyan.