Mayor Regencia probes 'Sendong' survivors who sold GK houses

ILIGAN City (28 Feb 2017) - Mayor Celso Gomera Regencia has summoned all beneficiaries of Gawad Kalinga (GK) houses in Bayanihan Village, Barangay Santa Elena on Tuesday morning to investigate why some 'Sendong' survivors sold the units that were awarded to them.

According to Housing and Resettlement Office head Rey Roque, over 300 units were sold by beneficiaries to non-Sendong survivors.

Buyers were mostly locals of Lanao del Norte and Lanao del Sur.

The memorandum of agreement signed by the beneficiaries before they occupied the units states that they are not allowed to sell or let non-beneficiaries occupy the units.

Some beneficiaries reasoned they sold their units because some parts of the village do not have power and water service.

The local government is eyeing the possible filing of charges against beneficiaries who sold their units but also vowed to go after officials and department heads who were amiss in their duty to provide the services promised.


A number of 'Sendong' survivors in Iligan still have not been relocated, five years after the tragedy. [Roxanne Arevalo, ABS-CBN News]