The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has condemned the irreverent eviction of tenants with financial problems by lessors amid the enhanced community quarantine.
A viral post by Gabriela South Caloocan has shown a mother, holding her 1-month old child, begging with the barangay official who is taking the child as an order by their barangay’s executive officer due to unsettled rent.
The executive officer’s mother is said to be the owner of the tenant’s house. The tenant has been forced to move to another barangay. “Bawal ‘yon because under the Memorandum Circular on rental fees, hindi siya pwede i-evict ng landlord, so lahat ng complaints naka-specify sa MC. Lahat ng complaints dalhin niyo sa DTI-FTEB. (That’s prohibited because under the Memorandum Circular on rental fees, the landlord cannot evict her, so all complaints are specified in the MC. All complaints should be brought to DTI-FTEB),” DTI Undersecretary Ruth Castel stated.
Based on the Memorandum Circular 20-12, the DTI requires a 30-day grace period for tenants to pay for their rent. The payment can also be settled through installment in a span of 6 months. It also covers the rent of MSMEs.
DTI also urged the public to report lessors who force their tenants to pay. Under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, violators may be imprisoned for 2 months and be fined up to PhP 1 million.
Meanwhile, the Office of Barangay 162 Caloocan City has served a preventive suspension order to the Executive Officer of the said barangay. The Office has also vowed for a fair investigation. – Report from Cleizl Pardilla
