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The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) said President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision to give the housing units for soldiers and police to members of a militant urban poor group who illegally occupied them is “both good and bad”.

“The whole episode, as I was saying, is both good and bad,” Brig. Gen. Restituto Padilla, AFP spokesman, told reporters in Camp Aguinaldo Wednesday..

“Good, in the sense that the discourse on housing was opened up again, and that it’s being expedited by agencies concerned,” he said.

“Bad in the sense that it’s setting a precedent that may signal a bad start for others who are interested to foment more kinds of… similar activities,” Padilla added.

During the 120th founding anniversary of the Philippine Army last Tuesday, Duterte announced that he will create a better housing facility for soldiers and police after the militant group Kadamay occupied housing units allocated for them by the government in Pandi, Bulacan.

In his speech, Duterte said the new housing facility that he will create is much bigger and with electricity and water supply.

Padilla said a total of 675 housing units in Pandi, Bulacan were allocated to AFP-PNP personnel, 80 percent of which were called as standard row houses with 36 square meter lot worth 175,000 pesos, while 20 percent were called upgraded row houses with a 40 square meter lot worth 208,000 pesos.

He said every unit does not have electricity and water, so it is the owner of the house who has to apply and spend for electricity and water connections. Robina Asido/DMS.