PROBLEM: An Owner Wants To Eject All Apartment Occupants For The Purpose To Raise Rental Or Perhaps To Sell Part Of His Property.
PLACE: 12 B. UMALI ST. QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES
CASE: APARTMENT DEMOLITION
YEAR: 1980’S
FACTS:
A six (6) row-house apartment were located in an urban area in Quezon, City Philippines.
Me, my Wife and my 2 yr. old daughter and our helper are the occupants in one of the low-cost apartment.
Noticed from the landlord to vacate were received by lessee’s giving 1 month to vacate the areas.
All occupants refuse to leave invoking the Apartment Rental Law that a lessee cannot just be evicted if the apartment is habitable and in those period of times an Apartment owners of a non contract binding with lessee were freezed to increase rental in a couple of years or three years.
Those lessee’s who have been staying in those apartment for long and had numerous members of their family resist to leave and fight to death if they continue the demolition (until now they are still residing in that 4 door apartment left). They were able to resist because many of them are just at home the whole day, unlike us in the two apartments being new family and my neighbor were just newly wed.
My wife and me are working in Makati City also that time as (office worker) leaving behind my first daughter and our helper.
I don’t have intention either to leave the apartment because I have a restraining order against the owner from the Office of the President (Urban Poor Commission), and as long as you’re paying the monthly rental you’re protected by the rental law.
ONE DAY – I came home from work and to my shocking emotion, I saw my rented one door apartment and the adjacent one was already demolished and all our belongings were scattered along the road and the only thing standing are the sofa/couch and refrigerator.
The story of our helper make someone knees to shrivel – when she related to us that our 2 yr. old baby girl is still sleeping on our couch at the first floor while they are starting removing the roof.
On the same day I rented a room two blocks away with a bigger rate than my apartment, as I need a place to stay with my wife, daughter and our helper.
A man who still believe in a rule of law – I filed a complaint to the Barrio Captain (I did not lodge any Information yet to the Fiscal Office as I don’t like it to be dragged as a formal case but instead I just want to be paid whatever lost or damaged belongings we had.
And I don’t have any interest to fight in court as it may distract only my work also, so I choose more the lenient way. Aside from that, if I lodge a case in court against the owner as if it is like a story of David against Goliath (its good if I’ll be always like David who knockdown Goliath).
Also, I know that cases like this will just be keep postponing and I don’t have resources to exhaust and I look at my life status in those years belonging to the cannot afford sector of a society.
A lawyer brother of one of the lessee ask me to file the case in court but I said no need – of course I will be paying him too and it is only an inducement on my part from the other lessee’s so that the rest will be protected.
That time, If I am sitting alone I am overwhelmed of self pity and the evil is convincing me to do such drastic action. I am just planning to buy one hand grenade and just lob it at the residence of the owner and fled to the mountains but my wife is pleading me that I should not, I was told to think of her and our little baby. She said, we can have a better one in due time and this thing happening just might as well a test for us.
So, in those events – I’ve got nothing.
Until now the remaining apartments are still standing.
After 2 months staying in that room – I found a good apartment and in a year after in that new apartment, I have bought a house & lot.
With all these ordeal, I received also good blessings of always choosing the positive way “not received the blessings on that particular moment but can be received in other time” at least. It taught me more to learn the realities of life in this world. How the few powerful elite can overturn a legitimate complaint and how the under-privileged use their experiences as guide into a fruitful one.
Now, that I have “small cute abode” containing more than the things lost in that demolition having the means to interact in the Information highway like this now, I feel being blessed.
At this time, if I am visiting that area where I once reside, I can see my shadow being deprived of Justice, and the amenities of life but it reminds me too, that my life had climbed a few steps to the ladder of Maslow’s Pyramid Hierarchy of Human Needs. If I remember correctly of my management subject (SECURITY IS ONE OF THE NEEDS). So, guns, guns, guns is the only thing you will have a leverage or turn into when there is no more way to choice.
TO READERS: WHATEVER YOUR JUDGEMENT IN THIS STORY ARE ALL CORRECT.
On my part, it is only a matter of presentation true stories I had, no more no less .
My real stories depict a person who had faced several dangers and oppression and it may remind someone else who are now on the top who has also started from the first step of life, with the exemption for those who were born with a golden spoon.
I thank you of able to share this story.
[This message has been edited by stdalire (edited September 14, 1999).]
PLACE: 12 B. UMALI ST. QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES
CASE: APARTMENT DEMOLITION
YEAR: 1980’S
FACTS:
A six (6) row-house apartment were located in an urban area in Quezon, City Philippines.
Me, my Wife and my 2 yr. old daughter and our helper are the occupants in one of the low-cost apartment.
Noticed from the landlord to vacate were received by lessee’s giving 1 month to vacate the areas.
All occupants refuse to leave invoking the Apartment Rental Law that a lessee cannot just be evicted if the apartment is habitable and in those period of times an Apartment owners of a non contract binding with lessee were freezed to increase rental in a couple of years or three years.
Those lessee’s who have been staying in those apartment for long and had numerous members of their family resist to leave and fight to death if they continue the demolition (until now they are still residing in that 4 door apartment left). They were able to resist because many of them are just at home the whole day, unlike us in the two apartments being new family and my neighbor were just newly wed.
My wife and me are working in Makati City also that time as (office worker) leaving behind my first daughter and our helper.
I don’t have intention either to leave the apartment because I have a restraining order against the owner from the Office of the President (Urban Poor Commission), and as long as you’re paying the monthly rental you’re protected by the rental law.
ONE DAY – I came home from work and to my shocking emotion, I saw my rented one door apartment and the adjacent one was already demolished and all our belongings were scattered along the road and the only thing standing are the sofa/couch and refrigerator.
The story of our helper make someone knees to shrivel – when she related to us that our 2 yr. old baby girl is still sleeping on our couch at the first floor while they are starting removing the roof.
On the same day I rented a room two blocks away with a bigger rate than my apartment, as I need a place to stay with my wife, daughter and our helper.
A man who still believe in a rule of law – I filed a complaint to the Barrio Captain (I did not lodge any Information yet to the Fiscal Office as I don’t like it to be dragged as a formal case but instead I just want to be paid whatever lost or damaged belongings we had.
And I don’t have any interest to fight in court as it may distract only my work also, so I choose more the lenient way. Aside from that, if I lodge a case in court against the owner as if it is like a story of David against Goliath (its good if I’ll be always like David who knockdown Goliath).
Also, I know that cases like this will just be keep postponing and I don’t have resources to exhaust and I look at my life status in those years belonging to the cannot afford sector of a society.
A lawyer brother of one of the lessee ask me to file the case in court but I said no need – of course I will be paying him too and it is only an inducement on my part from the other lessee’s so that the rest will be protected.
That time, If I am sitting alone I am overwhelmed of self pity and the evil is convincing me to do such drastic action. I am just planning to buy one hand grenade and just lob it at the residence of the owner and fled to the mountains but my wife is pleading me that I should not, I was told to think of her and our little baby. She said, we can have a better one in due time and this thing happening just might as well a test for us.
So, in those events – I’ve got nothing.
Until now the remaining apartments are still standing.
After 2 months staying in that room – I found a good apartment and in a year after in that new apartment, I have bought a house & lot.
With all these ordeal, I received also good blessings of always choosing the positive way “not received the blessings on that particular moment but can be received in other time” at least. It taught me more to learn the realities of life in this world. How the few powerful elite can overturn a legitimate complaint and how the under-privileged use their experiences as guide into a fruitful one.
Now, that I have “small cute abode” containing more than the things lost in that demolition having the means to interact in the Information highway like this now, I feel being blessed.
At this time, if I am visiting that area where I once reside, I can see my shadow being deprived of Justice, and the amenities of life but it reminds me too, that my life had climbed a few steps to the ladder of Maslow’s Pyramid Hierarchy of Human Needs. If I remember correctly of my management subject (SECURITY IS ONE OF THE NEEDS). So, guns, guns, guns is the only thing you will have a leverage or turn into when there is no more way to choice.
TO READERS: WHATEVER YOUR JUDGEMENT IN THIS STORY ARE ALL CORRECT.
On my part, it is only a matter of presentation true stories I had, no more no less .
My real stories depict a person who had faced several dangers and oppression and it may remind someone else who are now on the top who has also started from the first step of life, with the exemption for those who were born with a golden spoon.
I thank you of able to share this story.
[This message has been edited by stdalire (edited September 14, 1999).]
