Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque reminded property lessors of both commercial and residential establishments abide by the mandatory grant of a 30-day grace period on rents due within the duration of the community quarantine. This statement was reiterated following reports that a landlady in Caloocan City tried to evict her pregnant tenant from her rented apartment by removing its roof and door when the latter was not able to pay the rent.
“Let us remind our people po na meron pong guidelines ang IATF sa panahon ng ECQ, MECQ, GCQ. Dapat po ay merong grace period na binibigay sa mga umuupa (that the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases have guidelines under ECQ, MECQ, GCQ. There should be a grace period for all tenants),” Roque said.
The provision of a 30-day grace period for paying of rent is stipulated under the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, also known as Republic Act 11469, and in the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Memorandum Circular (MC) 20-12 series of 2020.
“Hindi po dapat nangyari yan dahil may stipulated grace period. Patapusin muna natin ang mga community quarantine at saka po tayo maningil ng pagkakautang,” he added.
[That should not have happened because there is a stipulated grace period. Let us allow the community quarantine to be lifted before we collect rent payments.]
In a video uploaded on Facebook, neighbors of Princess Remureran in Barangay 167 were seen helping her keep her personal belongings from getting wet when it started raining since the roof of her house appeared to have been removed.
Remureran claimed said her landlady did this after she could not pay her rent.
However, the landlady decided to return the roof several hours after the incident after her belongings already got wet.
The landlady, Tessie Banico, said she needed the money after her husband got into an accident. The Caloocan City government has settled the issue and vowed to give cash aid and food packs.
Last month, President Rodrigo Duterte advised landlords not to force their tenants to pay for residential rent amid the prevailing pandemic.
