By Paulo Loreto Lim

After the Regional Trial Court (RTC) dismissed the case brought forward by informal settlers along Ortiz-Muelle Loney Streets in the City Proper district of Iloilo City against then-Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog and the Task Force on Anti-Squatting and Illegal Structures (ASIS) back in August of this year, the Municipal Trial Court recently reached a similar decision in the respective civil case.

The case was originally brought forward after informal settlers occupying a 2,600-square meter lot were requested to vacate the area, in order for the city to begin work on the planned Iloilo City Grandstand, set to replace the Freedom Grandstand, which was scheduled to be demolished.

After locals were provided notice, along with information on a city-run relocation site, demolition began on structures built along the sidewalks.

In the original RTC case, Arturo Deala and Gloria Babas, who filed a preliminary injunction, which was intended to stop the ongoing demolition, claimed, “ASIS forcibly removed the roofing materials [over] three residential houses.”

Executive Judge Enriquez Trespeces dismissed the case, saying the plaintiffs “failed to substantiate its claim that there is extreme urgency that they would suffer grave injustice and irreparable injury.”

Back in October, Mayor Jose Espinosa III, who was operating as acting mayor at the time, signed an executive order instructing the removal of illegal structures, which included kiosks selling ‘ukay-ukay,’ or second-hand clothing retailers, from the city’s Jaro Plaza.

A similar order was later issued for the city’s Mandurriao Plaza./PLL, WDJ