LIARS?

What was framed as urban development has erupted into a crisis of trust.

In Barangay Cogon, the dust has barely settled from the demolition of more than 80 homes when a louder storm began. Rage, grief, and a deep sense of betrayal aimed squarely at City Hall and its most powerful figures: Lucy Torres-Gomez and Richard Gomez.

Residents say the April 8 demolition, reportedly part of a ₱20-million city project, displaced dozens of families where many of whom claim they were promised relocation, dialogue, and time. Instead, they say, they got bulldozers.

“They lied to us,” one resident said. “We trusted them.”

Promises vs. Reality

The city government has not fully detailed the timeline of consultations, but reports confirm that at least 80 homes were cleared under the administration of Mayor Torres-Gomez.

For affected families, the issue is not just the demolition, it’s the gap between what they say they were told and what actually happened.

Residents claim assurances were made: relocation plans, proper notice, humane treatment. What they describe instead is abrupt displacement and families scrambling to salvage belongings, children watching their homes collapse into rubble.

City’s Claim

On the other hand, city officials insist the demolition was not sudden, nor arbitrary, but the enforcement of a decades-old legal victory.

According to the Ormoc City government, the land in Purok Dahlia and Purok Rosal traces back to expropriation proceedings initiated as early as 1965, when the city moved to acquire parcels for public use.

That move was later affirmed in a 1979 Court of Appeals ruling, which officials say clearly established that ownership belongs to the local government, a decision they maintain remains final and enforceable to this day.

Armed with that ruling, the city proceeded with demolition, arguing that the occupants are informal settlers on public land and that the government has the legal right to reclaim and develop the property.

Officials also stress that no court injunction or restraining order was in effect to stop the operation at the time it was carried out.

The city further maintains that it complied with the Urban Development and Housing Act, or RA 7279, saying notices were issued and relocation assistance was made available, including temporary lots in Barangay Cagbuhangin.

To the city, this is not land-grabbing, rather, it is law enforcement, long delayed.

Who owns what?

But the city’s claim is far from uncontested.

The property has remained under dispute for decades, with private claimants, identified in reports as the Parilla family, continuing to assert ownership despite the appellate ruling.

In 2025, the dispute escalated when a petition was filed before the Supreme Court seeking to halt the demolition through a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO). As of the demolition date, no TRO had been allegedly issued.

That legal gray area has fueled anger on the ground.

For residents, the existence of an ongoing case raised a simple question: why demolish now, when ownership is still being fought over?

Betrayal behind ‘legality’

Furthermore, even if the city’s legal claim holds, the emotional backlash is undeniable.

Residents accuse the Torres-Gomez leadership of hiding behind legality while failing in transparency and compassion.

“They knew this issue was complicated,” a community leader said. “But they made it sound simple, like everything was already settled,” locals lamented.

Unfortunately, that gap between legal certainty and human uncertainty is where resentment has taken root.