In Biliran
TACLOBAN CITY- Recipients of a housing resettlement project in Culaba, Biliran have alleged that they are being threatened of being delisted if they will not vote ‘straight’ in the forthcoming May 13 elections.
Margarita Villegas, a resident of Barangay Marbel of said town, claimed that they were asked to ‘vote straight’ in favor of outgoing Mayor Lorenzo Reveldez who is running for vice governor of the province, and his brother, Councilor Rodito Reveldez, who is running for mayor of the town.
“We were told that we will not be awarded with our housing unit if we will not vote straight,” Villegas, in a media interview, said.
Culaba is a recipient of a housing project from the National Housing Authority (NHA) located in Barangay Guinapondan.
The housing project is part of the government’s Yolanda assistance program.
In Culaba, the recipients of this housing project are families living in coastal areas, declared as danger zones, of the town.
The said housing project has more than 700 units but many of the recipients chose not to occupy their units due to absence of water and power supplies.
Villegas said that they find it unfair that their eventual occupation to their housing units is being politicized.
“We are the beneficiaries of this pabahay project of our government but we will not be given our unit as he claimed that he has the right whom he want to award the units,” she said, referring to Mayor Reveldez.
Mayor Reveldez was contacted by Leyte Samar Daily Express for his side through his mobile phone on this claim by the beneficiaries but did not received a reply from him.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
