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The Kadamay Exodus A Resistance To Socio-Economic Hegemony PDF
The Kadamay Exodus A Resistance To Socio-Economic Hegemony PDF
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Introduction
The concepts of silence and silencing have been usually employed by discourse
analysts, pragmatists, political scientists, social psychologists, and cultural critics to refer to the
forms and processes involving social and political control (Jaworski 279). According to
Thiesmeyer, where there is discourse, silencing takes place. Thus, she defined silencing as a
way of using language to limit, remove or undermine the legitimacy of another use of language
(2). She explained that silencing comes in various forms such as unwanted silencing, complied-
in silencing, even unrealised or self-imposed silencing. Moreover, she claimed, Silencing has
been linked to relationships of authority and power in categories such as gender, class, sexuality,
race, postcolonial relations, or government intervention in citizens lives. Silencing has thus been
(Thiesmeyer ibid).
In times of conflict, the media is one of the most potent tools to achieve silencing. Since
this institution conveys its own interest while characterizing the struggles between majority-
minority groups in conflict, it reflects the forces of domination and resistance in society
(Lambertus 233.) In fact, it has been observed from studies that the media cast an us against
them ideas that support the outlooks of powerful sources of news and attune to prevailing
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mainstream news structure when they cover stories of discord (Lambertus ibid.). In this
discourse analysis, I attempted to show that while the news article from the Philippine Star tries
to silence other discourses that are pro-Kadamay, the news account from the Philippine Daily
Inquirer attempts to resist this effort of silencing through various linguistic devices and
strategies.
Analytical Framework
The analytical framework I used in this discourse analysis has been developed by Sarah
Lambertus. This particular discourse analytical tool aims to unravel subtle yet systematic
strategies of silencing that occurs in the two texts. This framework comprises three general
structures. The analysis of relevance structure tracks the news hierarchy of important and
relevant information, and the status of media sources. The analysis of linguistic structures
comprises lexical choices, syntactic structures, and in/direct speech. The analysis of thematic
structures, which summarizes the topics covered and provides the highest level of abstraction
with other structural elements in the news story, aims to give an evaluation of the dominant
themes in the two news narratives. Furthermore, I will supplement my analysis and interpretation
of in/direct speech by using the table for The Rhetoric of Worthy Versus Unworthy Victims from
Samia Bazzis CDA framework, which is a version of CDA that is specifically designed to
Some 6,000 families that belong in the group Kadamay (Kalipunan ng Damayang
Mahihirap or Federation of Mutual Aid for the Poor) and other informal settlers occupied idle
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housing units of the National Housing Authority (NHA) in Pandi, Bulacan on March 8, 2017
(Pasion 1). Kadamay said this was to protest against the failure of the Duterte administration and
the housing authorities to provide shelters in the area. Of these housing units, 538 were awarded
specifically to Philippine National Police personnel. Following this movement, another group of
families composed of 500-1,000 members, occupied other housing units in Bulacan on March
13. Three days after, on March 16, 160 housing applications from families who occupied the idle
units in Pandi was processed by the NHA officials. On March 20, Kadamay members picketed at
the front gates of the NHA in Quezon City to protest the eviction notices against the occupancy
on idle housing units. Three days later, on March 23, The NHA issued eviction notices to
Kadamay members who occupied the units. About 1,000 Kadamay members again gathered at
NHA office on March 24 to demand their rights over 5,000 idle housing units.
On March 27, the NHA announced a plan, to expel 20,000 illegal dwellers, but withdrew
the orders after Kadamay agreed to undergo a validation process. In a dialog, the two parties
came to an agreement that any units left unclaimed after the May 30 deadline would be
transferred to the informal settlers. On April 4, Duterte announced that members of Kadamay
may now live in the housing units, provided they do not drive away the police and soldiers who
Relevance Structures
Relevance structures traces the hierarchy of important and relevant information in the
news. The headline and lead-in contain what subjectively is deemed as the most significant facts
(van Dijk 87), while other details are subsequently arranged in an order of descending
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importance (Lambertus 243). The headline of the news story from the Philippine Star runs thus:
Duterte says Kadamay being used for anarchical activities, which the author elaborates in the
lead by stating when and in what context the President uttered the accusation. Since the text
producer fully knows that readers just assume that the headline and the lead contain the most
important information in a news article, he placed the accusation issue in the headline and in the
lead, giving the reader the false impression that the whole news account will be all about Duterte
accusing the Kadamay as being involved in anarchical activities and explaining how it is such.
However, looking into the rest of the article, it will be noticed that the following paragraphs talk
about the President urging the legitimate beneficiaries to give the houses to the Kadamay and
promising them that he would build them bigger and better houses. The speech act of accusation
is hardly mentioned in these paragraphs. The last four paragraphs dont even have any direct
bearing to the Kadamay issue. It is all about buying new arms and ammunitions and the order of
not surrendering to enemies when captured. The author knows that information best remembered
are those mentioned in the headline and lead of the text (van Dijk 166). Hence, this strategic
relevance structure suggests the social position of the journalist (but not necessarily the whole
headline proves what Lambertus asserted, which is that when a minority group offers resistance
to hegemonic forces, the media characterize the actions of the minority as a threat and bring this
to the larger societys attention (235). Certainly, this is a strategy to emphasize the accusation
issue than other comparatively relevant issues in the news article. Ultimately, this could be
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Linguistic Structures
The analysis of lexical selection, syntactic structures, and direct speech choice of the
Philippine Star news article present another level of understanding the characterizations of the
For instance, the headline Duterte says Kadamay being used for anarchical activities
attributes not only agency role and responsibility to the President, but also emphasizes that the
accusation originated in the highest political leader in the country himself. It strengthens the
Lexical choices by the author suggest a chaotic time with his use of words and phrases
such as reiterated his call for soldiers and policemen, five M60 (machine gun, to bolster
soldiers sense of security and vigilance. Similarly, phrases such as illegally occupied, forcibly
occupied, gago, nang-aagaw, and violent confrontations construct the Kadamays identity as a
dangerous group. Likewise, the use of the word enemies in the last segment of the news article,
without clear context of who they are, gives the reader the sense that it refers to the Kadamay
Army and other similarly hostile freedom-fighters. This lexical choices are powerful because the
mental representation that readers naturally create of a certain unfamiliar group for their future
reference is strongly influenced by the certain attributes repetitively associated with the group by
the media (Lambertus 236). Generally, the authors lexical choices paint a vivid imagery that
would most likely prevent counter-perspectives, such as that the act of taking over the units was
not as terrifying as suggested, or that the Kadamay members are not dangerous citizens. This is
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typical of the media because news stories about minorities are a major source of stereotyping
(Lambertus 235).
Regarding in/direct speech analysis, it would be observed that the authors chosen direct
quotations from President Dutertes speech are mostly about the soldiers and the policemens
loss of houses, the Presidents sympathy to them, and his request to them to be understanding of
and compassionate to Kadamay. This portrays the beneficiaries as worthy victims as they
received detailed and emotional sympathy and more quotations by witnesses or officials. On the
contrary, the Kadamay members are subtly categorized as perpetrators. (See Appendix A: The
Rhetoric of Worthy Versus Unworthy Victims.) Schrter claimed that it is typical for societies
to have discourses about minorities in which the minorities themselves are hardly ever heard
(4).
Summarily, the lexical choice and syntactic structure deprive the readers from obtaining the
accurate knowledge about the Kadamay, while the chosen direct quotations from the Presidents
speech can overpower the illocutionary power of the Kadamays voice and other discourses
supportive of the urban poor group. This is evidently a form of silencing because the media
attempted to filter the potential knowledge to be gained by the readers from the news. This is one
Thematic Structure
The thematic structure of news article performs an important role in comprehension and
memorization (van Dijk 31) as it defines the most important information of a text (van Dijk 72).
Psychological research has shown that macrostructures like topics and titles are important in the
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effective interpretation, storage and recall of information since readers usually recall topical
information better than supporting details (van Dijk and Kintsch 12, 52).
The Philippine Star headline Duterte says Kadamay being used for anarchical
activities suggests that the news was mostly about the urban poor group Kadamay and their
being a potential national threat to the government. This begins the series of themes in the news
article. Kadamay members are portrayed as citizens organizing themselves, as resisting against
the authorities, as people with problems, and as people with low rationale. In other words,
Kadamay members who occupied the NHA housing units in Bulacan are implied as thieves.
Psychologically speaking, once the readers have created a biased model of the issue being the
influence of the dominant thematic structure and stylistic technique of news discourse, the model
will stick to the readers minds which will influence the reproduction of information in later
conversations, stories, or arguments. One instance that can serve as exemplar is the news article
written by Christine O. Avendao on the April 26, 2017 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer
which bears the headline: Kadamay Members Hurt by Thieves Label. Two Kadamay members
who are not involved in the occupancy activities were unfairly called thieves just because they
were members of Kadamay (Avendao A7). This proves that people tend to have a more acute
recollection of negative events or acts of minority group members such as Kadamay members
On the other hand, the intended beneficiaries of the rushed housing units, who are the
soldiers, policemen, and firemen, are depicted as pitiable victims of the unlawful occupancy; as
generous people who have high rationality; and as citizens who are the priorities of the
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by the ideology of the elite institutions such as the police and the government, which have access
Integrating the two contrastive themes about government and Kadamay, the overarching
conflicts between superior and inferior sectors in any society, the press is not likely to present
news stories that support the marginalized groups outlook (Lambertus 236). Therefore, it is
perceivable that the media, as Van Dijk (1987b), Fairclough (1989), and Parenti (1993) argued,
is not a good mediator between dominant and subordinate groups because the press serves not
only as receiver but also as transmitter of duress to conform to hegemony (Lambertus 235).
Relevance Structures
The news article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer has all of the main schematic
categories ordered by communicative importance. First, there is the headline; next, a brief
summary; and then a lead with a proper summary. The information that the Kadamay inquired of
the National Housing Authority about the social housing projects budget is suggested to be of
prime importance compared with other information in the news story; hence, it can be read in the
headline. This headline is supported by the brief summary, which states the Kadamays terms of
condition if the government will not be able to explain what happened to the budget for free
housing projects. Elaborating the brief summary is the lead, which gives a temporal detail on the
The next paragraph talks further about the inquiry into the missing budget, while the
succeeding paragraph tells about the Kadamays demand for an explanation for the rush in the
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construction of the housing units and their low occupancy. Highlighting the Kadamays set of
inquiries into various government activities suggests that the questioning is of prime importance
in the entire news story, or maybe even in the whole socio-political issue. The second half of the
news article talks about the agreement between the Kadamay and NHA, which is that the group
will undergo a validation process to determine whether its members would be eligible to own the
houses. Therefore, the authors decision of emphasizing the Kadamays questioning of the
missing fund by putting it in the headline and lead could be construed as a subtle attempt to resist
silencing.
Linguistic Structures
The analysis of lexical selection, syntactic structures, and direct speech choice of the
Philippine Star news article present the Kadamay as a minority group that needs much assistance
The preference of the interrogative form Where is P50-B shelter fund? Kadamay asks
NHA as the syntactical structure in the headline not only attributes voice to Kadamay but also
entitles them the status of a legitimate group who deserves the right to inquire into the housing
project budget, which was legally appropriated to the people of their socio-economic condition.
In a news release that was published on July 26, 2016, it was stated that President Duterte, in his
first State of the Nation Address, laid out his policy for demolition and resettlement of urban
poor communities. His assertion that relocation sites would be immediately constructed was
settlers in Quezon City, Cebu, Batangas and Davao have been tossed aside to the gutters in
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Lexical choices by the author such as urban poor group and people whoare poor to
refer to Kadamay suggest weakness and helplessness on the part of the Kadamay members. This
linguistic effect is further strengthened by the use of the more emotionally associated word
families, which has been used five times across the text. This is in stark contrast with the use of
the pejorative term illegal dwellers, which was used only once. Similarly, the taking over of
housing units done by Kabayan members, which President Duterte labeled as anarchical is
euphemistically referred to in this news account as occupation of idle low-cost houses and
keep[ing] [housing] units for freephrases that do not bear the negative connotations of
lawlessness and civil disobedience. Despite the fact the media have a track record of promoting
a deficit or threatening image of minorities to mainstream society, (Lambertus 235) surely, this
is not the case in this particular news article. Clearly, this could be interpreted as resistance to
silencing because the language used here somehow undermines the legitimacy of the use of
Regarding direct speech analysis, it would be observed that the authorities, whose
statements are directly reported, are the Kadamay chair, Gloria Arellanos and Anakpawis
Representative Ariel Casilaos. Anakpawis is one political party that is allied with Kadamay.
Together with Kilusang Mayo Uno, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Makabayan and Gabriela,
Anakpawis joined Kadamay in protesting the lack of housing programs for the poor. Not a single
statement from NHA is quoted by the author. This is an obvious strategy to resist silencing by
the dominant group and to create social distance between them and the general readership. The
news narrative emphasizes the message that the Kadamay members are the real victims and not
the policemen, soldiers, and firemen as the other text proposes. As the table for The Rhetoric of
Worthy Versus Unworthy Victims shows, some of the characteristics of worthy victims are that
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they receive more quotations by witnesses or officials, receive human right group supports that
assert condemnation of the acts of their enemies, and receive assertions of outrage against
their enemy. For example, when President Duterte characterized Kadamays occupancy of the
NHA housing units as anarchy, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) and JP Rosos, the
national spokesperson of League of Filipino Students (LFS) criticized the President by telling
him that what Kadamay did was not anarchy at all. Moreover, Kadamay Chairperson Gloria
Kadamays action.
Thematic Structure
The headline Where is P50-B shelter fund? Kadamay asks NHA serves as the Philippine
Daily Inquirers summary that the news was about Kadamays inquiry into issue of housing
projects budget appropriated to the urban poor legally. The brief summary right below this
headline serves the purpose of justifying the prolongation of the Kadamay members sojourn in
the housing units that were intentionally constructed for the soldiers, the police, and firemen. The
Kadamay members are portrayed as citizens ignored by the government and thus do not receive
much attention. This is the overarching theme of this news article. Yet, they are also portrayed as
a group resistant to socio-political hegemony. Another dominant theme expressed in the text is
that the government is generally corrupt; it cannot be trusted with large amount of money.
Moreover, in one of van Dijks analysis of newspaper headlines, it was found out that the
actions of the authorities such as expulsion, refusing asylum, reception, housing, and limiting
costs are the most frequently expressed topics or themes (230). However, this is clearly not the
case in the news article from the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Clearly, through the strategic use of
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Summary
analysis unraveled silencing and resistance to silencing in two news articles about the Kadamay
issue that were taken from two national newspapers: the Philippine Star and the Philippine Daily
relevance structures, 2) linguistic structures, and 3) thematic structures, revealed that fact the
chosen article from the Philippine Star used the abovementioned discourse devices to silence
other news discourses that support Kadamay. On the contrary, the same careful and systematic
linguistic inquiry revealed the fact that the selected news article from the Philippine Daily
Inquirer utilized the same discursive devices to resist the subtle attempt to silence this urban
poor group.
Conclusion
The investigation of the news discourse and the contextual factors that contribute to
understand the complex relations between media, powerful sources such as the police and the
government and the minority groups within a specific socio-political context. Unknown to a
large number of general readers, there is a prevalence of silencing in print media especially
during times of socio-political conflict. This is usually accomplished by the media through
filtering certain kinds of information that go out to the public. Pragmatically speaking, since this
study tests media theories against a real-life situation, it will improve our understanding of media
and minority representation which, in turn, may result in meaningful social reform.
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Works Cited:
Bazzi, Samia. Arab News and Conflict: A Multidisciplinary Discourse Study. Amsterdam: John
Jaworski, Adam. Political silencing: A view from Laurie Andersons performance art. Ed.
Lambertus, Sandra. News discourse of Aboriginal resistance in Canada. Ed. Lynn Thiesmeyer.
Reyes-Estrope, Carmela. Where is 50-B Shelter Fund? Kadamay Asks. Philippine Daily
Romero, Alexis. Duterte says Kadamay Being Used for Anarchical Activities. Philippine
Discourse, Interaction, and Cognition. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1980.
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Van Dijk, Teun A. News analysis: Case studies of International and National News in the Press.
Dec. 2016.
Van Dijk (1988). News as Discourse. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, 1988.
Van Dijk and Kintsch (1983). Strategies of Discourse Comprehension. London: Acadamic Press,
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Appendix A
by Samia Bazzi
receive detailed and emotional sympathy dont receive emotional details, nor sympathy,
they are an object of hostility
receive adequate international condemnation dont receive international condemnation nor
and apologetics from world leaders over their apologetics over their killings
killings
not receive condemnation if their actions are receive condemnation for their violent actions
violent
receive more quotations by witnesses or receive the least quotations and only to serve
officials the editorial stance
receive assertions of outrage against their dont receive assertions of outrage against their
enemy enemy
receive technical and full details of the type of dont receive technical nor full details on the
destruction inicted on them destruction inicted upon them unless it serves
as a victorious language against them
receive human right group supports that assert dont receive human right group support that
condemnation of the acts of their enemies condemn the wrong doings of their enemies
receive prevalent moving images dont receive emotional images but images that
could serve a victorious claim over them and
their wrong acts
receive a politeness strategy from the text receive revengeful language or on the record
producers and editors statements from the text producer/ editor
the worthy fighters who fall as victims receive the unworthy fighters who fall as victims do not
strong reasons for retaliating against their receive good reasons for their violent actions,
enemy except for the reason that they are stereotyped
as terrorists
those seen as the innocent victims receive their innocent victims fall as a result from their
expanded representations of very clear causes own leaders/fighters aggression
for hostilities committed against them
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Appendix B
Text 1
(1) President Rodrigo Duterte on Thursday accused members of urban poor group Kalipunan ng
Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay) of involvement in "anarchical activities" as he vowed to
prevent any effort to occupy other government housing projects.
(2) Speaking to troopers of the Western Command in Palawan, Duterte reiterated his call for
soldiers and policemen to let go of the housing units illegally occupied by Kadamay to avoid
violent confrontations.
(3) "I would want to make first the report that your housing units were seized by poor people like
us. But those are the guys used by the Left and they are into such anarchical activities and I
cannot force them to leave because some of the awardees (of housing units) were policemen and
soldiers," Duterte said.
(4) The accusation was despite having earlier allowed the settlers to have the housing units.
Kadamay argued that the units remained unoccupied due to inefficient government processing.
(5) "I said if this thing continues and the soldiers and policemen stop them, some people may get
killed. So I urge you as your president, let's just give it to them, to the Kadamay. And do not
worry because I will build you a better one," he added.
(6) Duterte said the houses to be provided to soldiers and policemen would have access to
electricity and water, utilities that he said are lacking in the houses seized by the urban poor
group.
(7) "Do not feel bad. After all, the houses were given to our fellow Filipinos who are also poor.
That is your consolation. But it doesn't mean to say that the government, I, have forgotten you,"
the president said.
(8) "You will have new, better houses. The faucets have water and you have electricityHayaan
mo iyong mga gagonang-aagaw, kandila lang iyong kanila (Just let those fools be, those who
seize houses. They only have candles)," he added.
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(9) Kadamay members forcibly occupied close to 6,000 housing units in Bulacan last month as
they decried the alleged failure of the government to implement an effective housing program for
the poor. Members of the group said they only occupied houses that have remained idle for five
years.
(10) Duterte vowed to make sure that Kadamay would not be able to occupy other housing
projects. "Anarchy? Hanggang diyan lang 'yan sa Bulacan (It will only happen in Bulacan),"
Duterte said.
(11) "They won't be able to repeat it next time. I will build housesand I will have them
guarded with five M60 (machine gun) and bazooka. Unang entrada pa lang bitawan mo na (we
will use them upon their first entry)," he said in jest.
New pistols
(12) In the same speech, Duterte said he would buy 30,000 Glock 30 caliber .45 pistols to bolster
soldiers' "sense of security and vigilance." He said the pistols may be delivered within the year.
(14) He reiterated his advice for soldiers not to allow themselves to be captured by enemies.
(15) "Magsurrender ka, bababuyin ka lang, gawain kang t******** (If you surrender, they will
dishonor you, turn you into fools) or you'll be treated like a pig only to be executed just like
the Marine before," Duterte said.
(16) "Kasi 'pagka nagkaubusan na ng tropa pati bala, ilagay mo na lang 'yan sa ulo, tapos
ganonin mo 'yung kalaban mo. F*** you (If you run out of troops or bullets, just point the gun
at your head, tell your enemy 'f*** you') You might as well die with dignity.
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Appendix B
Text 2
Gloria Arellano, Kadamay chair, said they were told during a Monday dialog that only a
small percentage of that amount went to the NHA. The rest of the funds went to agencies that
oversee poverty alleviation such as the Presidential Commission on Urban Poor and the National
Anti-Poverty Commission.
Kadamay also sought an explanation as to why the housing projects were rushed but had
remained unoccupied by their intended beneficiaries, most of them soldiers, policemen and
firemen.
On Monday, the NHA was scheduled to evict 20, 000 illegal dwellers from 5, 262 houses
at Villa Elise and Pandi Heights 1 in Barangay Cacarong Matanda, Pandi Village 2 and Pandi
Residences 3 in Barangay Mapulang Lupa, and Villa Louise in Barangay Siling Bata and Padre
Pio in Barangay Cacarong Bata, all in Pandi town. Some families also occupied units at San Jose
del Monte City.
But the NHA withdrew the eviction orders after Kadamay agreed to undergo a validation
process to determine whether its members would be eligible to own the houses, according to
Anakpawis Rep. Ariel Casilao.
Casilao, who took part in the dialog, between Kadamay and the NHA, also said Kadamay
had agreed to avail of housing loans provided the NHA could relax some of its requirements.
But Arellano said Kadamay and the NHA had yet to agree on payment terms pending the
completion of the validation.
Only the 324 families [who occupied houses] in Villa Elise with whom the NHA
initially had talkapparently agreed to pay the houses they occupied through loans. But that is
not the position of Kadamay, she said.
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The NHA has scheduled the start of validation on April 3. It will be joined by teams from
the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the Department of the Interior and Local
Government.
Some families who occupied the houses on March 8 were unable to acquire units and
tried to take over other housing sites in Bustos town.
The problem with housing has been festering for so long but the people who occupied
the idle houses are poor and would not be able to pay for them. We really intend to pursue free
housing for them, Arellano said.
The P50-billion allotment was for families living near [Metro] Manila waterways, so
why havent many squatters and urban poor been given houses today? she said. These housing
projects were rushedbut the units were too small, measuring 22 square meters. That is why
beneficiaries like policemen declined offers to stay there.
The NHA has given the beneficiaries until May 30 to signify if they want to avail of the
low-cost houses in Bulacan. Otherwise, the houses will be forfeited and given to families who
are eligible under government housing rules, it said.
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