Ormoc City residents called their local government “inutile” and “ruthless” after Mayor Lucy Torres‑Gomez’s administration demolished 81 houses in Purok Dahlia and Purok Rosal, Barangay Cogon, on April 8. The demolition included titled properties that had stood on the land for decades.

The people angrily denounced the forced eviction amid the current economic crisis. They also rejected the city’s offer of ₱24,000 compensation and temporary relocation. They were extremely distressed on having no proper process or genuine dialogue.

The demolition was carried out for a ₱20‑million civic building project included in the city’s planned “complex.” Torres‑Gomez claimed the government had legally acquired the property opposite the city hall in line with a 1979 Court of Appeals decision.

The residents belied this saying they have been paying real‑estate taxes on their lots up to the current year. The Ormoc City local government also reportedly stopped accepting their tax payments without explanation as preparation for the demolition. The residents also questioned the demolition was carried out despite their pending petition for injunction with the court.

—reports from Larab