Violent eviction of Nueva Vizcaya tribal folk hit

BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — The local Catholic Church condemned what it described was the violent eviction of some 100 tribal families accused of illegally occupying a piece of agricultural-cum-residential land here.

Speaking in behalf of Bayombong Bishop Ramon Villena, Fr. Vicente Tiam of the Social Action Center also expressed sympathy with the affected villagers, especially those whose houses were torn down in last Thursday’s demolition.

"We have to peacefully confront the issue. Let’s not resort to violence. Violence begets violence," said Tiam in a dialogue sponsored by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) here last Friday.

The dialogue, attended by representatives of the Church, the local government, indigenous organizations and other groups protesting the tribal folk’s eviction, was called following the demolition which nearly resulted in a bloodshed.

Backed up by policemen and soldiers, the demolition squad stormed the houses of tribal families in Batu village in Barangay Santo Domingo here.

The affected families are mostly Igorots from Nueva Vizcaya’s mountainous areas.

The contested property is part of more than 130 hectares of what used to be pasture land which the Abesamis clan is claiming.

The local DAR office said the eviction was in compliance with a 1998 decision of the DAR Adjudication Board which recognized the Abesamises as the legal owners of the disputed land.

Human rights lawyer Ernesto Salun-at, however, questioned the legality of the demolition order and the ruling of the DAR Adjudication Board.

He argued that the disputed land is not covered under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, hence, the DAR has no jurisdiction over it.

Salun-at, a former governor of the Integrated Bar of the Philippines-Northern Luzon, said they have a pending appeal with the Supreme Court over the matter.

Felix Abesamis Jr., one of the heirs of the land, however, vowed to assert their ownership of the property, saying the DAR and the court have already decided in their favor.

"There would be chaos. Nothing can stop us, even the President," he said during the dialogue, which was also attended by Gov. Luisa Lloren Cuaresma.

Salun-at appealed to the Abesamis clan to just wait for the Supreme Court to decide within seven days their motion for a temporary restraining order.