IROSIN, Sorsogon -- The municipal government here might have a hard time looking for takers of its relocation site after its intended beneficiaries voiced objection to the planned resettlement area.

        This surfaced after residents of Barangay Cogon who were to be transferred to the relocation area at Barangay Salvacion learned that the site had been rejected by the National Housing Authority and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.

        The MGB and the NHA both rejected the site being too dangerous and “unbuildable”, NHA Director Alberto Perfecto said during a round-table discussion.

        “Most of the area is unbuildable with steep slope, so it’s unsuitable for relocation,” he stressed.

        Perfecto said it would require huge amount of funds for slope stabilization and site development to minimize the dangers at the relocation site.

        The municipal government bought a three-hectare lot worth P1 million with funds donated by Cong. Jose Solis and the provincial government.

        But some municipal employees who refused to be named for fear of being blacklisted were questioning the propriety of the purchase saying the lot was owned by the son of Mayor Lilia Gonzales but was transferred to the name of a certain Ernesto Cantonjos, a tenant of the Gonzaleses.

        Based on the records at the Municipal Assessor’s Office the lot ownership was transferred to the name of Cantonjos last March 7, 2007 as a reward for his good service to the Gonzales family, just as the municipal government was drawing up a relocation plan.

        Gonzales rejected the MGB and NHA report and pushed through with the plan despite the dangers it would bring to the prospective occupants.

        According to Engr. Ben Gabionsa, the town’s municipal engineer, only about 8, 000 square meters of the total 30, 000 square meters relocation site could be utilized for housing due to the unfavorable terrain.

        In an interview, Gabionsa admitted that MGB did not approve of the site but that the LGU would still push through with the plan.

        Gonzales denied reports that controversy marred the purchase of the lot and insisted that it was suitable for housing saying the ground-breaking ceremony last December 2007 was in fact attended by ranking government officials.

        Ruben Dometita, the village’s former chief, said they were not informed by the local government that the relocation site was rejected by MGB and NHA for being too dangerous.

        Dometita said they would no longer agree to the plan of the municipal government to relocate them to the new site.

        Some residents who were also present during the interview said they were now more worried about the dangers at the relocation site rather than the dangers from lahar.

        At least lahar comes only during rainy season but the dangers at the relocation site are there all the time, residents said.