In a violent tit-for-tat confrontation played out since last year like scenes from the Gaza Strip, stone- and bottle-throwing residents of Balubad St. in Barangay Anunas, Angeles City, battled it out with demolition teams led by policemen and Sheriff III Elizabeth D. Marasigan of the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board (DARAB), who for the nth time had tried to enforce a demolition order last February 8, 2024.
But to no avail.
The demolition team may had ruined several houses like the brand new house of an Australian expat who had been hurt in the melee, but residents would not simply budge – not an inch.
This 3rd attempt to demolish the residences of some 2,000 families in the area is scheduled to be implemented from February 7, 2024 up to March 15, 2024. This time, the demolition team were met with stiff resistance – with more Red Horse bottles thrown at the phalanx of cops who had no option but to retreat – but not without also throwing bottles and stones against the rowdy residents who will not leave their lands. Based on the photo, two cops armed with rifles were aiming at the residents but decided to take cover and retreat.
Last year, the DARAB and policemen had tried to demolish the houses which only resulted to the burning of a truck belonging to the demolition team. It was akin to a warzone in Beirut and the striking similarity of the issue is none other than the precious land.
To the residents of Barangay Anunas, this swathe of land had been a promised land of sort with the awarding of Certificate of Land Ownership Awards or CLOAs – pieces of lands divided to farmers under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program implemented during the time of former Presidents Joseph Estrada, Fidel Ramos, and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
How in the world these CLOAs had been cancelled was beyond our understanding. To us who saw the violence and the gravity of the issue to include the insensitivity of those involved are just incomprehensible. What was appalling here is that the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) who had awarded this contested land before are now trying to take them back to give it to a private owner — the Clarkhills Properties Corporation.
Angeles City Mayor Carmelo “Pogi” Lazatin Jr. had already reached out to owner Oscar Torralba several times to hold the demolition until a concrete solution had been taken. But efforts to settle it amicably fell on deaf ears with more surprise demolitions taken by DARAB Sheriff Marasigan who had been enforcing her “job.” She said there is no Temporary Restraining Order (TROO that will stop her from enforcing the demolition order. So there.
The DAR had distributed these CLOAs all over the Philippines to farmer-beneficiaries particularly to former rebels to make them productive members of the society during their integration, and to make idle lands productive. Some of these farmers all over the country had already reportedly sold their CLOAs to private individuals.
Taken aback by the 180-degree turn of Clarkhills and the violent clashes last February 8, Mayor Lazatin has condemned in strongest terms the violent surprise demolition conducted on Thursday morning. He described Clarkhills as having “no humanity and no intention to honor their word.”
Said Mayor Lazatin: “The City Government was under the impression that Clarkhills would stay true to this agreement; however, considering what happened earlier today (Feb. 8), it appears to us that Clarkhills has no humanity.”
With Clarkhills turning down all proposals for an amicable settlement of the issue in Barangay Anunas, Mayor Lazatin said the Angeles LGU will “proceed with the expropriation” of the contested land. The local chief executive had earlier asked the Clarkhills management to donate 3.5 hectares while the Angeles LGU will purchase another 3.5 hectares based on the assessed value that will be determined by the City Assessor’s Office.
A total of 7 hectares will be made available for the affected families out of the 73-hectare land.
This time, Mayor Lazatin will exhaust all legal remedies. The “City Government of Angeles shall explore all possible legal avenues to ensure that the interests of our constituents are prioritized. On top of this list is to proceed with the expropriation, which our City’s legal officers are working on as of writing.”
Meanwhile, the Anunas residents are restive and vigilant. They are not ready to part ways with their land even if it will take their very own lives. This is their own version of the Palestinian’s “intifada” and we are hoping that no lives will be lost here.