Pangarap Village residents decry harassment over land dispute

Residents of Pangarap Village trooped outside the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) office in Quezon Avenue on June 17, Wednesday, to protest the alleged harassments by security personnel of Gregorio “Greggy” Araneta III.  Greggy Araneta currently serves as CEO of Araneta Properties Inc., a real estate company, and also an executive of CDI. He comes from the wealthy Araneta family and uncle to DILG Secretary Mar Roxas.

Araneta has been pressing for his private ownership claim over Pangarap Village, an area that served as relocation or retirement area to many government and military personnel and urban poor for over 30 years now.

Residents claimed that Araneta’s group is employing harassment tactics to drive the residents away from their homes.

A Barangay official whose name is withheld due to fear of reprisal said that “We just want Araneta to respect our rights as human beings. During medical emergencies, residents could not even bring their kin to the hospital because vehicles are not permitted to enter the premises without a permit. Many have died already. Even funeral services could not enter the village. They need to get a permit from CDI”

A huge banner was put up at the entrance of Pangarap Village stating that the whole land is owned by Carmel Development, Inc (CDI). Entrance points to the village are guarded by Araneta’s security personnel.

Harassment tactics

Residents complained that basic utilities in Pangarap Village have been cut since last year. The electricity in the community was cut late last year without notice. A barangay 181 official, who chose not to be named for fear of his life, said that services from Meralco were barred from entering the community, for the reason that the area is a private property.

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“Hindi po pumapayag ‘yung CDI na papasukin ang mga heavy equipment ng Meralco dahil daw sa lumabas na Supreme Court ruling na sila (Araneta) ang nagmamay-ari ng lupa (CDI is not allowing the heavy equipment of Meralco to enter the village because of the Supreme Court ruling that the Araneta family owns the land),” he said.

Residents have been relying on solar panels, generators and submeters as sources of electricity.

The same barangay official said that their water supply has also been affected.

“‘Yung tubig meron. Problema namin ‘yung booster, kasi continuous dapat ‘yung power nu’n kasi siya ‘yung magpupush. Kasi ‘pag ‘di ginamitan ng booster, patak-patak lang,” he added.

Entrance points to the community have been blocked and public utility vehicles are barred from entering the village. Only tricycles operating within the village and motorcycles of residents are allowed to enter and exit the village upon inspection of security guards.

On June 6, the library building of the Pangarap Village School, which caters to elementary and high school students, also burned, allegedly due to faulty wiring. But residents doubt that is the reason, since there was no electricity in the village since last year.

Students and teachers have only been relying on a generator provided by Caloocan Oca Malapitan. Grade 1 Teacher Rose said the sound and pollution from the generator is distracting them during their classes.

“Sagabal na sagabal ang tunog ng generator, hindi kami magkaintindihan, tapos ‘yung air pollution pa, ‘yung amoy,” said Teacher Rose.

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The decades-long land dispute has also resulted to numerous killings, including two deaths in 2011 after an allegedly drunk security guard of CDI opened fire at residents protesting an impending demolition.

“Ang hinihingi lang natin sa gobyerno ay tiyak at ligtas na paninirahan at kabuhayan, pero ano’ng ginagawa? Tinatanggalan tayo ng tubig, tinatanggalan tayo ng kuryente, pero saan nga ba dinadala ang pondo? (What we are asking from the government is secure and safe homes and livelihood, but what are they doing? They cut our power and water lines, so where do they really allot our public funds?)” said Kadamay National Vice Chairperson Estrelieta Bagasbas during the protest outside DILG.

Land struggle

Pangarap Village is a 156-hectare land in north of Caloocan city composed of Barangay 181 and 182 and home to more or less 40,000 people, according to 2007 National Statistics Office data.

Through late president Ferdinand Marcos’ Presidential Decree (PD) 293, which cancelled all the sale certificates of CDI in Pangarap Village, the land was granted to employees of Malacañang and urban poor families.

But in 1988, during the term of late president Corazon Aquino, the Supreme Court ruled PD 293 as unconstitutional. The residents, since then, have been fighting for their rights to land ownership.

DILG actions pending

During the protest outside the DILG, barangay officials of Pangarap Village held a dialogue with DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero. Parties agreed to document in paper all incidents of harassment against residents to be submitted to DILG this week to determine the agency’s actions.

Pangarap Village barangay officials said past dialogues with DILG Undersecretary Tom Villarin and Etta Rosales of Commission on Human Rights were held, but did not bear concrete results.

According to news reports, Araneta is planning to turn the area into a new central district, as the national government plans to build MRT-7 that will run from EDSA to San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan. At least one station of the MRT-7 would be placed along Pangarap Village.

Photos by Demie Dangla and Dexter Aserdano