Iloilo island fishers still harassed?

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Harassment cases reported in the controversial Sicogon Island in Carles, Iloilo between members of the Federation of Sicogon Farmers and Fisherfolks Association and Sicogon Development Corp. of the Sarrosa family will continue as long as the Writ of Amparo filed by a concerned petitioner is not yet granted by the Court of Appeals, according to the Commission on Human Rights-6.

CHR-6 investigator Leo Sapana said they have been receiving report of harassments at the island but they are still waiting the CA to approve the petition so that people affected by the island’s development will be properly protected.

It was respondent Rowaldo Macario of Barangay Alipata, Sicogon Island who filed the petition against Senior Superintendent Cornelio Salinas, director of Iloilo Police Provincial Office, Carles chief of police Senior Inspector Rodelon Betita, Mayor Betita and Sarrosa clan – Lemuel, Edgardo, Edmund and Gerry on October 31, 2013.

Macario, is one of those who was offered either to receive P 150,000 cash assistance just to vacate the island or a relocation site in Estancia, Iloilo.

So far, Sapana said more than 100 households out of 580 affected households had already availed what the Sarrosa offered to them.

“The option offered to them is not appropriate because there is no pre-prior inform consent from those who were affected,” he said.

He added those who are still receiving threats are those people who are still living from three affected villages of Alipata, Buaya and San Fernando apart from those who were already displaced or homeless due to typhoon Yolanda.

Sapana said those homeless residents in the island were not already allowed by the Sarrosa to built their homes.

In fact, Sapana said some of these homeless families sought temporary shelter at the forest land owned by the government.

The investigator added that all they have to do right now is to monitor the present situation at the island because their previous dialogue supposedly set for two parties was curtailed due to the petition filed by the complainant. — (FREEMAN)