This story was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VI, No. 1, February 5-11, 2006

‘Senator’s Village’ Render 172 Peasants Homeless

Forty-two houses in a rural village in Silang, Cavite were forcibly dismantled by a 65-member demolition team, rendering 172 peasants homeless. The peasants were forcibly displaced to give way to a high-end subdivision named “Senator’s Village”, reportedly a project of former movie actor-turned-senator Ramon Revilla Sr. (Jose Bautista in real life).

By Dennis Espada
Bulatlat

Forty-two houses in a rural village in Silang, Cavite were forcibly dismantled by a 65-member demolition team, rendering 172 peasants homeless.

The demolition team arrived at the 25-hectare Barangay Cabangaan at 6:08 a.m. last Feb. 3, escorted by around 300 composite elements of the Philippine National Police (PNP), Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT), Police Provincial Mobile Group (PPMG), Rocky Security Agency and the military. Thirty-minutes later, they started tearing down the houses using mallets and iron rods.

Rodel Pelimbergo, together with several other residents, reportedly sustained wounds in their arms as a result of intimidation by armed elements, according to the militant Kalipunan ng mga Magbubukid sa Kabite (Kamagsasaka-Ka or Peasant Federation in Cavite).

After two hours, only two houses were left untouched ― but only because they were intended to be converted into security barracks. Kamagsasaka-Ka charged that each member of the demolition team was paid at least P500 for “construction services”.

“The farmers negotiated with Sheriff Ricardo Crucido of the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudicatory Board-Cavite (Darab) to no avail. The farmers were harassed,” Kamagsasaka-Ka said.

Since 2004, farmers have been receiving threats and urged to voluntarily leave their homes or face violent eviction. The land is under dispute between the farmers and the landowner, former movie actor-turned-senator Ramon Revilla Sr. (Jose Bautista in real life).

Revilla reportedly plans to convert the coffee and pineapple farm into a so-called “Senator’s Village”, a high-end residential subdivision complete with golf course and other recreational amenities. The area is less than a kilometer away from Tagaytay City, one of the country’s tourist spots.

Housing crisis

Sheryll Villegas, secretary-general of the militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan or New Patriotic Alliance)-Cavite chapter, condemned the “anti-farmer tandem" of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and Governor Erineo Maliksi “for supporting infrastructure projects that undermine the poor’s right to domicile.”

The plight of the peasants in Cabangaan, she said, is no different from urban poor communities facing demolition orders.

The Cavite chapter of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay or Association in Aid of the Poor) revealed that out of the total 29 communities within the province’s lowland areas, there are 13,969 families who are currently confronting a housing crisis and facing serious threats of displacement. There are 21 communities who occupy public lands. Not less than 7,291 houses are threatened to be demolished.

“Nakalulungkot na maitala, na sa Pabahay 2000 at Belvedere Homes, mga proyektong pabahay sa panahon nina Pangulong Ramos at Arroyo, kung saan inilipat ang mga maralita mula sa Pasay, Paranaque, Marikina at Tondo ay nagaganap din muli ang bantang pagpapaalis dahil sa kawalan ng kakayanan ng mga residente na magbayad ng buwanang hulog para sa halaga ng lupa at bahay,” (It is saddening that even at Pabahay 2000 (Housing 2000) and Belvedere Homes, housing projects of former President Ramos and President Arroyo, where urban poor communities from Pasay, Paranaque, Marikina, and Tondo were relocated, there are threats of forcible displacement of the residents because they cannot afford to pay the monthly amortizations for the land and house.), Kadamay-Cavite’s Elvie Luza said.

Most urban poor communities are forcibly displaced because of the implementation of government projects like fishports, lengthening of the Light Rail Transit (LRT), expansion of industrial zones and establishment of commercial hubs, as well as due to privately-owned projects such as posh housing subdivisions, coastal city bay terminal and memorial parks, the group added. Bulatlat

Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.