Benitez seeks probe on takeover of gov’t housing units
Friday, March 17, 2017
By TERESA D. ELLERA
NEGROS Occidental Representative Alfredo Benitez (3rd District), chairman of House committee on housing, is pushing for an investigation into the takeover of government housing units in Pandi and San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan by members of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay).
Benitez cited a report of the Philippine National Police that around 500 individuals who are members of the urban poor group marched to government housing sites and occupied the housing units on March 8.
Kadamay claimed that their move was to highlight the urban poor’s clamor to address the right of the indigents to free and mass housing and also to protest the continuous neglect of the poor for mass housing in pursuit of a profit-oriented roadmap that favors the homeless citizens.
Benitez said the incident should be an opportunity for Congress to look into the current resettlement programs of the government.
It is incumbent upon the Congress to oversee the implementation of laws to identify possible necessary program and policy intervention that will lead towards the realization of the original objectives of the enacted policies, he added. (TDE)