CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Close to 2,000 families were rendered homeless after the police and demolition team swooped upon the legal orders of the court to clear the 27-hectare property they occupy on June 14,2022 in Sitio Zayas, Barangay Carmen.
Demolished residents claim a certain Amir “Datu Lawlawan” lumatao Alibug invited them to put up their structures in a prime property claiming it is an ancestral domain.
The homeless residents who believed Datu Lawlawan’s voice started to occupy the prime property early March this year, a claim which Barangay councilor Cyril Ranile belied, as the later is aware that the land is owned by the heirs of Cid clan.
Ranile said, the village officials tried to prevent the occupation and informed the settlers that the property is titled “There were series of negotiations for the illegal occupants to vacate the area,” but it failed.
On May 30, Barangay Carmen through a notice ordered the occupants to vacate the area in ten days but the occupants stood firm on their belief that it is an ancestral domain.
One of the occupants, Abigail “Bae Mamili” Paderan even stood up to attest that the land is an ancestral domain and even showed a huge tarpaulin at the roadside which states among others that the land they occupied is covered by “Royal Decree 6246, covered by Torrens title 1892” a claim far beyond reality because the Torrens titling system was not yet established during that period it was only enacted on November 6, 1902 under the American rule.
Another occupant, Randy Villanueva, 41 and a father of 5 said, that he paid 250 pesos to Alibug as membership fee which allows him to occupy 100-square meter lot.
Most of the occupants who were interviewed by Newsline.Ph said they were renters and are not residents of barangay Carmen.
Villanueva, a migrant to this city drives an improvised motorbike to earn a living, is just one of the believers of Alibug “At first, we paid 250 to the collector of Alibug, the next month, one thousand, or some paid two thousand,” says one occupant.
In the case of Mohammed Dalomacob, a Meranaw from Bayang, Lanao del Sur said he paid P20,000 to the previous “right owner” to occupy a 120-sqm land “I have to borrow money to pay the land, then borrowed another money to build our house,” Dalomacob said.
During the demolition Datu Alibug was nowhere to be found while Dalomacob, his wife and his child can only look on as their still unpaid house taken down.
“I only asked that we can salvaged our materials,” Dalomacob said, for his to salvage the materials when he finds a place to build his home.
OWners of the informal structures are now living elsewhere, unsure of what comes next.
Mamile said that they have no choice but to sleep on the sidewalks of the city road since they have no place to go.
“We will sleep here; we will stay on the sidewalks. Where else can we go?” Mamile said.
According to police major Ivan Viñas, spokesperson of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office said that they will not leave the area until everything is cleared.
“We leave only when all occupants are gone. The police will not allow for them to come back here,” Viñas said.-Bobby Lagsa
