Pangarap Village - From President Ferdinand Marcos to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, Part Two of the many series...

PART TWO:


The filing of the PD 772 (Anti-Squatting Law) resulted in the mass arrest of residents who were not able to post bail bond.

In July 1995, court cases against the title holders of Pangarap were dismissedbecause they were able to present their corresponding titles of the land.

Ironically, the PD 772 cases filed in various courts against the informal settlers (urban poor families) did not succeed because the urban poor families challenged Carmel to produce in court proof of its ownership over the contested land.

Carmel was not able to produce these vital documents in court. The eventuation resulted in the disbarment of Atty. Orlando Rayos, counsel of Carmel Farms. Atty. Rayos was no longer attending the hearings Carmel filled against these informal settlers. The cases filed against the informal settlers in various courts were dismissed due to lack of interest of Carmel to pursue the said cases.

The reason is obvious. Carmel’s TCTs are questionable. But nobody pursued what Pres. Marcos has started, the cancellation of all TCTs issued in Carmel’s favor through the proper courts (instead of a PD). Yes, Madam President, cancellation and annulment of titles and not reversion will lead you to proclaim Pangarap, part of the 808-hectare Tala Estate which was reserved for government uses as well as for housing and urban development (Proclamation 843),  as a government land.

Charged with a new battery of bright lawyers, Carmel opted to play a new game where winning is done by elimination, and where possession and not ownership gives weight. The “weakest link” will have to go first.

Carmel filed an ejectment case in the sala of MTC Judge Eleonor Kwong against the formal and informal dwellers of Pangarap, including the president of the MHAI. Their test case is a success, due to technicality, the case was won by Carmel and resulted in the issuance of a Writ of Demolition against all respondents of the aforementioned case.

On April 2, 2002, right after the Holy Week, the 15 concrete and well-furnished houses of the said respondents, built thru their hard-earned retirement funds were subsequently demolished. Confusions ensued but not a single violence was ever recorded. The said houses went down peacefully, amidst the silent protest done in anguish, bitterness and pain never before felt by these buyers and builders in good faith, “whose dwellings stood thereon” because of the government’s assurance that the land they bought and occupy from the government, thru the Bureau of Lands, belongs and still remains with the Republic of the Philippines.

It is obvious that being beneficiaries of CA 32 (Land for the Landless Act) these victims of inhumane demolition do not own, cannot and will not afford extra houses. The atrocious demolition was executed even without a plan for relocation both by the private claimant (Carmel) and the concerned agencies of the government.

But worst of all, the Torrens Systems is in danger of breaking up and falling down (one  of the many reasons why the Concerned Citizens of Pangarap is pushing for a legislation via a Congressional Inquiry).

Confusions, hopelessness, and pain are mounting in the hearts of all residents of Pangarap when on April 3, 2002, right after the demolition of the 15 houses, residents were served a Notice to Vacate Property by armed security men of Carmel Development. To date, some were already given Summons to appear before the different Municipal Trial Courts in Caloocan City. These cases are still ongoing. While some cases have already been decided for demolition.

Day by day, the residents of Pangarap are dying slowly with the confusion and fear of the impending demolition orders. These coupled by the bitterness and hopelessness as against the agencies of the government who should have been doing their jobs in resolving the land dispute over Pangarap Village adds to the torture of everyday living. Where is the LMB report? Will the LMB report be lacking in contents and evidences (as in the past when the OSG rejected it)? Will the OSG find any merit to pursue a case against Carmel based on the LMB report?

But LMB is basing its reports on the Supreme Court Decision GR No. 70484 that Carmel did not complete full payment of the land when in fact Carmel says that they did not buy it from the government on the first place.

Are the LMB, OSG doing their research well? Are they doing their jobs?

Whose houses shall go down next?

Reading on the decision of MTC Judge Kwong, the first 15 cases was won by Carmel not because of Carmel’s ownership over the land but mainly because of the “unconstitutionality and invalidity of the PD 293 and the absolute lack of any rights of any portion of Pangarap Village to the members of the so called Malacanang Homeowners Association (Supreme Court Decision GR no. 70484)” which was the basis of Judge Kwong to order the said demolition. Given also the fact that possession and not ownership is the issue in all ejectment cases.

Carmel succeeded in this endeavor. Carmel announced their intention to demolish all the houses of the 50,000 residents of Pangarap before the year ends citing jurisprudence. If this be the fact, then we only have until 2002, Madam President.

Inspired by the Jesuits example of Active Non-Violence, we, the Concerned Citizens of Pangarap started our Prayer Vigil at the main gate of Pangarap Village in April 16, 2002 right after the City Administrator of Caloocan issued us a permit. To our surprise, the said Prayer Vigil is participated actively by various religious leaders from the 22 different churches/religious groups in Pangarap including the Catholic Church. People who are tired and weary of their respective leaders and lawyers in their organizations flocked our prayer vigil area.

The site is heartbreaking. Women and children alike joined the prayers. People are embracing us. Thanking us for fighting and standing up for their cause and for Jesus despite the impending dangers.

What dangers? Only now we realized how dangerous it is to fight against those whose connections and resources are so vast.

Pangarap Village - From President Ferdinand Marcos to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III, Part Three of the many series...

PART THREE:

Volunteer groups from Bayan Muna, KMU, Compass, and the other left leaning groups expressed their support by joining the vigil. We rejected these offer as we would like to limit the vigil to pure prayers and the participants to residents of Pangarap only. This is an internal matter for the residents of Pangarap to deal by themselves.

Our beloved President, we saw light at the end of this dark tunnel, we saw hope in your undaunted leadership and credibility… We saw God.

Then came various group leaders who shared their documents and insights on how Carmel encroached on the so called “property of the republic of the Philippines.” We later concluded that a Reversion is not the proper way, but rather annulment and cancellation of titles based on the documents we have gathered.

There is nothing to reverse after all because our land still belongs to the Republic of the Philippines.

A glimpse of hope is enshrined into the hearts of these residents when the Concerned Citizens of Pangarap, (CCP) Inc. in its 24-hour daily vigil announced that it will move for the cancellation of titles of Carmel Development, Inc. based on the documents it has compiled.

The days that followed was marked with violence. In that same month, and in two separate occasions, Eufronio “Ronie” Mallari, one of our leader and Prayer Vigil Coordinator, was harassed by 15 men armed with armalite riffles and .45 cal. Pistols right inside his premises, purportedly to get his documents vital to the case against Carmel. These men identified themselves as PSG, NBI and PAGCOR personnel. The matter was already referred to the proper authorities (NBI and RIID) who promised to help.

Days later, Marilyn Dawang, a young mother of three kids was shot by one of Carmel’s security guard inside her store during the installation of a new guard post by Carmel. The indiscriminate and merciless shooting and wounding of this young mother prompted all the security guards of Carmel to abandon all their security posts in Pangarap, particularly the main gate where the Prayer Vigil is held in a 24-hour basis. Bitterness, pain, hopelessness immediately turned into anger and hate. The Prayer Vigil played a vital role I pacifying these people because of their respect to us, their new leaders. No harm was done against the said security personnel. Violence was prevented even before the policemen came. Peace is restored. Allegedly, Carmel immediately terminated the services of their own security company, Securicor.

Yet, still, Carmel’s security refuses to go back to their own posts.

Immediately thereafter, Carmel, through its security consultant, Mr. Boy Apatan, negotiated with us in the presence of Pol. Col. Ike Robles. The negotiations went well, though disrupted for a while by a policeman who was caught taking pictures on all the leaders of CCP, particularly Rosemarie "Rosebud" Belleza, the group’s president, Priscilla “Baby” Vergara (political coordinator of Mayor Malonzo), and Engr. Antonio “Tony” Jimeno Jr., the group’s spokesman. The camera’s film was exposed in full view of the public upon order of Col. Robles.

During the Tuesday (May 21) negotiation, Mr. Apatan agreed to allow house materials bought by title holders to come inside the village (they used to confiscate it before and treated even the title holders as squatters), while the CCP will monitor proliferations of new squatters (coming from demolished houses in the MWSS area nearby) and report them to authorities (CCP reported the matter to the PCUP even before the negotiation started) and Col. Ike Robles promised to arrest violators that will build new structures inside Pangarap.

Carmel Development Inc did not honor their words.

At around 4:00 A.M. of May 25, 2002, Saturday, the new Security Personnel from MISHEM Security agency allegedly owned by Ret. Police General Ramon Montaño attacked the area where the Prayer Vigil is held and ransacked the Vigil Area, removed the altar, and threw the sound system while firing their Armalite, Shotgun riffles and cal. 45 pistols in the air. The attacked lasted for minutes. This despite the fact that a permit was issued twice to the Concerned Citizens of Pangarap (CCP) by the City Administrator of Caloocan.

MISHEM even forcibly entered the house of Olivia Cuevas, one of the Prayer Vigil Coordinator and poked their Armalite riffle against her while the other member of the house were ordered to lie on the floor with their hands on their head.

These new security group, dressed in a SWAT-like fatigue uniforms, stayed and blocked the main gate of Pangarap until 9:00 A.M. in the full view of the Caloocan City Police headed by Pol. Maj. Garcia who just replied “anong gusto nyo, awayin ko sila?” when the residents complained they were harassed by these gun-totting men.

However, when one of the resident questioned and demanded for a copy of the licenses of the Armalite riffles the MISHEM security men were holding, the said guards retreated immediately to the Carmel’s compound near the gate of Pangarap, to the surprise of the residents. One man did what the group of Major Garcia failed to do.

Days later, the said security guards attempted to go back at the gate of Pangarap but were prevented by residents in many occasions. This resulted in the indiscriminate firing of the said guards almost every night and in the wee hours of the morning especially during weekends despite the presence of the policemen at the main gate of Pangarap. News reports in print and broadcast media however is far different from what is actually happening. The CCP, its leaders and members were portrayed to be violent. Madam President, we cannot afford to spend for a favorable press release. Worst of all, we fear for our lives. They have the money, the resources, and the motive to do whatever is best to reclaim their “alleged” property. God is on our side.

And during the committee hearing held at Pangarap Village, the guards of Carmel fired their riffles against another Prayer Vigil Coordinator of the Concerned Citizens of Pangarap, Louie Ecal, in the Lower Tawi Tawi Area. The incident prompted Representatives Libanan and Echiverri to visit the area and they were able to recover empty shells of shotgun riffle. Three men holding what seems to be riffles inside a sack were seen running in the direction of Carmel.

To date, violence still escalates in Pangarap Village, particularly at the main gate and inside the compound of Carmel where the guards are firing their riffles almost every night especially during weekends.

The NBI team, who branded as “exaggerated” all our reports to them, served subpoena against Carmel’s security personnel in June 2002. These agents were also witnesses to the heavy firearms such as M203 Grenade Launcher the security personnel of Carmel  are carrying. In fact, the NBI Team Leader together with their camera man ran for fear of their lives and with their hands armed with 45 cal. Pistol after serving the subpoena against Carmel’s security personnel. Akala daw po nila, hindi na sila makakalabas ng buhay. They were not able to take pictures for obvious reasons.

Our beloved President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, you are our only last hope. Please visit us in Pangarap Village.

Please create a composite team from PCUC, LMB, DENR, OSG, and the NGO (CCP) in Pangarap to conduct a FULL INVESTIGATION of all the anomalies involving our land problems and to come up with a recommendation that will lead to a Presidential Proclamation and the filing of criminal cases against those who falsify some government documents, particularly in the Register of Deeds in Caloocan City that resulted to all these troubles. Yes, madam President. They falsify the revival of the TCT of Carmel. The removal of the inscriptions canceling the title of carmel was done by one Yolanda Alfonso in 1989 when in fact it was Rodolfo Romero who was the RD of Caloocan at that time. Alfonso was the RD of Manila. The anomalous revival mentioned caused the filing of PD 772 and various ejectment cases against us. We will file a criminal case in due time. We will also demand Carmel to produce proof of its ownership over our land and ask Carmel how they were able to buy a parcel of land that was earlier reserved as government land for the leper colony.

We believe that our land belongs and still remains with the Republic of the Philippines.

We have already given some vital documents against Carmel and the Register of Deeds in Caloocan City to the OSG and to the House Committee on Justice and even requested for a CONGRESSIONAL INQUIRY IN AID OF LEGISLATION to our representatives Echiverri and Erice but to no avail.

We have already sought the assistance of Mayor Rey Malonzo, but instead of acting in our favor, he plans to issue a Warrant of Levy against Carmel to pressure them to pay their real estate taxes amounting to only P28M. We have warned the local government that this will only aggravate our miseries.  While it is true that serving a warrant of levy, according to Mayor Malonzo, will not mean ownership over the disputed land. But remember that ejectment cases tackles possession and not ownership of the same. The warrant of levy will only boost Carmel’s possession (not ownership) against our land.

We have reviewed the report of the LMB to the OSG for the filing of a Reversion Case against Carmel and we are not satisfied with the contents of the report and are strongly against the filing of the said reversion case for several reasons stated in our documents and in our web site (www.TalaEstate.com).

            YOU ARE OUR LAST HOPE, MADAM PRESIDENT GLORIA MACAPAGAL ARROYO. Please give hope to the weary residents of Pangarap by visiting us in our Prayer Vigil area. Please create a composite team who will report directly to you, a woman of integrity. A woman of God.

 

AD MAIOREM DEI GLORIAM! ALL FOR THE GREATER HONOR AND GLORY OF GOD.