The demolition of 54 illegal structures near the Integrated Bus Terminal by the city government is a lesson about social responsibilities and the urgency of putting things in their proper perspective. Pitted against each other are the city government and the squatters. On one hand, there are the squatters who are mostly poor. On the other hand, there is the city government with all the resources at its disposal. On the surface, it looks like a simple case of the rich against the poor, the powerful against the powerless. And yet, a deeper glance will reveal that there is more to it than just the classic class struggle that most people readily see in it.

There is no argument that poor people deserve to be treated with compassion. Although most people feel no compulsion to be compassionate, that does not give them the excuse to be inconsiderate. The poor however should not fall into the trap of thinking that they are entitled to certain liberties due to their economic dislocation. That would be the worst mistake they can commit. Obedience to the law is not limited to the rich and the not-so rich. The poor is obligated to obey it as well notwithstanding the handicaps that they face in life. Poverty is never an excuse to commit crimes or violate laws.

The many rags-to-riches stories oftentimes tell of people who worked harder and longer than the rest. But they more often than not never strayed beyond legal boundaries as well as the laws on morality and decency. Squatting is a crime that violates not only the law that prohibits it. It also violates the rights of those who own the properties. That the owners may be rich is beside the point. The wealth of the owners does not give the squatters the excuse to casually steal a square inch of their properties.

All people have problems and so squatters should not use it as an excuse to just go ahead and build on a spot they know they do not own and did not have permission to do so in the first place. At the very least, they should have the good sense to ask permission from the owner before making any move. Respect is a vanishing trait in an increasingly irresponsible society. That most people are disrespectful however does not mean they will be allowed to have their own way and get away with it. The irony of it all is that those who do not hesitate to be disrespectful are oftentimes happen to be very conscious about the respect due them. Everyone should practice due respect. The poor is not exempted.