Taguig mayor warns public vs dealing with squatting syndicate

Taguig City Mayor Freddie Tiñga has warned the public against dealing with a professional squatting syndicate gypping the homeless into buying parcels of land which are either government property or privately owned.

This developed after a member of the group operating at Creekland in Barangay Signal Village, was arrested by police the other day.

The suspect was identified as Antonio Astronomo, 59, a retired policeman and resident of Creekland.

Earlier, Alex Sumagka, an employee of the city government’s Urban Poor Affairs Office, received information that Astronomo was illegally selling land at Creekland.

Upon verification of the information, Sumagka sought the assistance of the Taguig Mobile Patrol Group

Along with PO2 Allan de la Peña and PO2 Guilon Fernandez, Sumagka went to the house of the suspect.

Astronomo allegedly hurled invectives at Sumagka’s group and even took a piece of wood and tried to attack them, prompting policemen to arrest him.

The suspect clung to one of the posts of his house, causing injuries to his arm as he tried to resist arrest.

Marites Villareal, 38, a resident of Zone 1, Signal Village, later told police she paid Astronomo P500 as membership fee to qualify her into buying a 100-square meter property at Creekland.

The syndicate allegedly charges P200 to P500 as membership fee from would-be buyers and an additional P1,500 for the survey of the property. The victims would then be allotted a 100-square meter lot, which is payable in five years for a P2,500 monthly amortization.

Around 600 individuals have allegedly been duped by the suspect.

Astronomo is an alleged member of the Rodriguez Group, a squatting syndicate listed by the National Task Force Against Professional Squatters and Squatting Syndicates under the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council.

Charges of swindling, assault upon and resistance and disobedience to an agent of person in authority have been filed against Astronomo.

Superintendent Alfred Sotto Corpus, Taguig police chief, has called on other victims to come forward and file charges against the suspect.