DAVAO CITY — The newly-appointed commissioners of Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) have sought for a special audit of the agency’s past operation before their assumption to office.
PCUP Commissioners Norman Baloro and Randy Halasan have agreed to ask for a special audit because they claim it is hard to assume the position without the full grasp of the past operations.
“The problem of the past administration might be slapped on us,” Baloro said, adding he already discussed it with Halasan.
Baloro stressed he wants to know about the financial status of the office before starting their work.
Last December, President Rodrigo Duterte fired the commissioners of PCUP including Chairperson Terry Ridon, due to “unnecessary junkets.”
Baloro and Halasan have taken their oaths of office on Monday before Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. PCUP is one of the 12 agencies under Evasco.
Upon his assumption, Baloro wants to focus on land acquisition for relocation of informal settlers in the urban areas.
“I think the problem of PCUP is the procurement of lands, if it was legitimately done? If it went through the right process and have an appropriate price,” he said.
Baloro said it is important to relocate the informal settlers far from the danger zones in the urban areas because it is part of the PCUPs mandate to provide decent homes for these people.
He also wants ‘just and humane’ demolition and basic human rights observed.
“Conflict management during demolition should be applied and we want to safeguard the urban poor,” he said.
Baloro is also eyeing the crafting of programs for the livelihood of the urban poor but anchored on the PCUP mandate. (Armando Fenequito Jr/PNA)
