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Substandard units in faraway places: Ejercito says 'Occupy Bulacan' a wake-up call

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<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img figcaption="" src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2017/news/04/10/20161107-jv-ejercito-jr3.jpg"/><div class="embed-desc">Senator JV Ejercito <cite>Junny Roy, ABS-CBN News/File</cite></div></figure></div>MANILA - Senator JV Ejercito on Tuesday said the occupation of housing units in Bulacan by Kadamay members should serve as a wake-up call for the government.&quot;Ang naganap na Occupy Bulacan ay isang alarma para sa gubyerno upang resolbahin ang malawak na krisis sa kalawakan ng ligtas at disenteng pabahay,&quot; Ejercito said during the start of the Senate probe on the incident.The senator cited a report by the Commission on Audit in 2015 that stated there was only 8.09 percent occupancy rate out of the 57,494 completed AFP-PNP housing units built by the National Housing Authority.Another report by the NHA in 2016 showed a slight jump of the occupancy rate to 13.82 percent.&quot;Nakakalungkot malaman na hanggang dito lang tayo umabot. Anong nangyari sa libu-libong pinatayong bahay? Nasaan ang ipinamahagi at tinitirahan na kapus-palad nating kababayan at ang libu-libong nakatiwangwang na bahay paano na?&quot; Ejercito asked.He pointed out that when the government builds homes without regard for the immediate needs, safety and comfort of those who would live in it, it becomes a sheer act of shameless profiteering.&quot;Government officials and employees become greedy bureaucrat capitalists who steal from government coffers, making easy profit from the misery of the poor, displaced and marginalized families,&quot; he said.Last March, over 4,000 members of Kadamay occupied housing units intended for the AFP-PNP in Bulacan.&quot;Paulit-ulit na lang ba tayong gagawa ng relocation sites sa malayong lugar? Nagpapatayo tayo sa malayo kasi mura. Dahil mura sa labas doon nabibili ang lupa kahit pa malayo sa kabuhayan,&quot; he said.Rep. Albee Benitez, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Committee, described Kadamay&#x27;s move as a clear sign of desperation.&quot;Desperation for a call for a housing resolution. Hindi lamang pabahay ang isyu dito kung di marangal na pamumuhay,&quot; he said.Meanwhile, NHA General Manager Marcelino Escalada Jr., said that of the seven sites developed by the NHA, five are intended for informal settlers or those from waterways and danger zones in Metro Manila, and two for the AFP-PNP.&quot;Of all the sites, 7 sites, there were 15,612 lots generated. Out of that, the occupied by qualified beneficiaries is 9,660 and those 5,262 occupied by Kadamay,&quot; he said.

MANILA - Senator JV Ejercito on Tuesday said the occupation of housing units in Bulacan by Kadamay members should serve as a wake-up call for the government.

MANILA - Senator JV Ejercito on Tuesday said the occupation of housing units in Bulacan by Kadamay members should serve as a wake-up call for the government.