Farmers want action on plunder case vs Villar

MANILA, Philippines - More than 100 farmers from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan staged a rally in front of the Office of the Ombudsman building in Quezon City yesterday afternoon to ask the anti-graft agency to act on a plunder case they filed against Sen. Manuel Villar more than a year ago.

Claiming to be the real owners of a 485-hectare property in Sitio Karahume that they inherited from their ancestors, they demanded that their lands, which were mortgaged to the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) without their consent, be returned to them.

Villar, through his family’s bank Optimum Development Bank that was managed by his wife, Las Piñas Rep. Cynthia Villar as president, allegedly used questionable Transfer Certificates of Title (TCTs) of their properties to secure a P1.5 billion loan from the BSP in 1998.

However, because the loans were not paid despite promissory notes, the BSP foreclosed the properties and is now claiming ownership of the lands.

“Pay attention to us. We wish we were one of those you helped. Give us back our land immediately,” one of the farmers said, apparently referring to one of the claims Villar, who is running for president, made in his television commercials.

The farmer’s group, known as the Norzagaray Farmers, said Villar should look into their case because there are natives like them who also need help from someone who claims to be a man of the poor.

Though the Norzagaray farmers are the complainants in the plunder case, they said Villar should not see them as enemies but possible allies, if only he would help them.

“We have the right to vote and choose who would lead the country. Please do not be choosy (when helping people),” a farmer said.

The Norzagaray farmers said they will spend the night at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) office and will hold more rallies in front of the BSP and the Land Registration Authority (LRA).