Why not allow squatters to stay?

Squatters in Cebu City in the Philippines have petitioned the government to allow them to settle legally on lots owned by the government. If successful, this would be a great step forward and a model for squatters in other countries to pursue. Without such an innovative strategy, the squatters would be forced from their homes and the lots fenced in. Not so different from the calamity that hit a small squatter community elsewhere in the region: demolition.