CORRECTED COPY OF

M.C. 2012-04
DTD JANUARY 4, 2012

REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES

DEPARTMENT OF'THE INTERIOR AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT
A. Francisco Gold Condominium II
EDSA Cor. Mapagmahal St., Diliman
Quezon City

OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY

MEMORANDUM CIRCULAR NO. ao12

- 04

TO: ALL CITY MAYORS, MUNICIPAL MAYORS,

MEMBERS OF THE SANGGUNIANd
PANLUNGSOD, SANGGUNIANG BAYAN
AND DILG REGIONAL DIRECTORS
SUBJECT: CREATION OF LOCAL COMMITTEES
AND/OR SIMILAR BODIES AGAINST
SQUATTING SYNDICATES AND
PRoFESSTONAL SQUATTERS ( LCASSPS)

DATE : f.ru.rf, 4j a.:.12

Rationale

The proliferation of professional squatters and squatting

syndicates has been a rampant perenniar probrem and continue to
besiege the country in nationwide scale not only in the urban areas but
in the rural areas as well.

with the establishment of the Nationar Drive Against professional

Squatters and Squatting Syndicates (NDAPSSSt, of which thL
Department is a member agency, the government'is very serious in
addressing the probrem, However, such wourd be rearized onry with
the big help of the local government units thru the creation oi their
Local committees against squatting syndicates and professional
9lu-1[qt (LCASSPS), which wilt serve as the operating arm of the
NDAPSSS in the local level in combating the squatting problem.

Legal Basis and Authority

Section 27, R.A. 7279 (Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992)_

"The local government units, in cooperation with the philippine

National Porice, the presidentiar commission for the urban'ioor
(PCUP), and the pCUp-accredited urban poor organization in the
area' shall adopt measures to identify and effectivery curtail the
nefarious and illegal activities of professional squatters and
squatting syndicates x x x,,
 Section 2.2.1, Execuliu.g Or.Ogf No. 129, dated
(Establishing An Institutionar uechaniii-'ri October 15, 1993
curtait
Professionat squattino svndicates And plofessionai the Activities of
Intensifying The Orivi Against Them) iqriiiiil'uia
Executive Order No. 153, dated December
IO, 2OOZ (Instituting the
National Drive To Suopress And Eradicate professionaf .sqrulti;;il.
Sguatting Syndicates, Amending f*"iuliu" Oider
purposes); S6ction Nos. 77g Ani t2g,
1n9. lor Other 9, Chapter II, Impfementing
Guidelines of Executive Order no. 153
Sections 29 and 32 of RA 7160, providing respectively
supe.rvision by the province over compone-nt ciiies the power of
ano','rniipuliti"!,
and by the cities and municipalities over their iespective
barangays.

Coverage

cities and Municiparities incruding the Autonomous Region in

Muslim Mindanao are covered by this ll"'ro.unOm Circular.

Composition (Section 2.2.t of Executive Order 129; Section (a),

Chapter II, Implementing Guidelines of exeJtlve or.der)
9

The LCASSpS shall be composed of, but not limited to the

following:

1. The Mayor of the city or municipality who shall serve as

Chairman with permanent alternate;

2. The local chief of pNp with permanent alternate;

3. The representative of the pCUp with permanent
alternate;
4. The president of the pCUp_accredited urban poor
organization with permanent alternate;

5. The duly designated or deputized representative of

HUDCC;

6. The President of the Liga ng mga Barangay of the

municipality or city;

7. The representative from the private sector who shall be

chosen by the above members.
 Powers and Functions (2.2.2 oF Executive Order No. 129; Section 9
(b), Chapter II, Implementing Guidelines of Executive Order No. 153)

1. Adopt the necessary measures to identify and effectively

curtail the activities of professional squatters and squatting
syndicates, including the names of public officials and/or
private individuals or entities suspected of abetting or
tolerating the commission of said acts;

2. Provide the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating

Council (HUDCC) and the National Housing Authority
(NHA) copies of the list of identified professional squatters
and squatting syndicates in order to safeguard against
their inclusion in future government housing
programs/projects and recommend their disqualificationi
in existing programs;

3, Provide legal assistance to victims of professional squatters

and squatting syndicates, giving priority to small property
owners, and make available, through the pNp and the DOJ,
a consolidated list of professional squatters and squatting
syndicate;

4. File or assist the complainant in filing the appropriate

charges before the prosecutor,s office;

5. Undertake investigation of cases of violation of laws or

rutes on eviction and demolition forwarded to it and
recommend appropriate actions on the same to the
concerned agencies;

6, Monitor eviction and demolition activities and establish its

own monitoring system;

7. Submit reports to the Housing and Urban Development

Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and to the Office of the
President, copy furnished the concerned agencies involved
in the implementation of R.A7279 z ano

L Request for assistance from any government entity, if

necessary.

Responsibility of the DILG

Regional Directors

All DILG Regional Directors are directed to:

1. Cause the immediate and widest dissemination of this

Memorandum Circular to all concerned City and Municipal
Governments within their regional assignments;
 2, Submit quarterly reports within the following month
thereafter regarding the compliance of the LGUS in the
creation of LCASSPS within their regional assignments;

3. Submit within the above-given time the demolition and

eviction activities as covered by the Local Committees
Against Squatters Syndicates and Professional Squatters
within their regional assignments; and

4. Submit within the above-given time the names of identified

professional squatters and squatting syndicates within their
regional assignments.

Responsibility of the Bureau of Local Government Supervision

(BLGS), This Department

The BLGS, copy furnished the Legal Service of this Department,

shall provide quarterly reports to the HUDCC and shall closely
coordinate with the same agency and other government agencies
concerned to assess the implementation of this Circular.

Effectivity
This Memorandum Circular shall take effect immediately.

res$*noBREDo
"Secretary
R€public of the PhiliPpinss
OEPAR'IMENT OI IlG I{'EdOi

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