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Irisan leaders unite to fight demolition

BAGUIO CITY (Jan. 10) — Some 50 leaders of several community organizations in barangay Irisan gathered on January 9 to consolidate plans to oppose the demolition of their houses. The leaders’ meeting was initiated by the Irisan Peoples Action against Demolition and for Good Governance (IPADeGG), a forum of leaders involved in the campaign against demolition of houses in Irisan.

In 2003-2004, several cases of demolition were instigated by city hall officials. Many more are threatened now in several places. During the 2004 electoral campaign, a group of campaigners initiated a campaign that would draw the support of progressive candidates to the cause of demolition victims. Said campaign was also aimed against candidates who instigated the demolition orders in the past. A number of progressive candidates won seats in the city council.

Organizing against demolition

This initial success inspired the leaders to pursue their cause, now focused mainly in organizing the demolition-affected people. The IPADeGG meeting is an attempt to achieve this objective.

The meeting of leaders provided the opportunity to discuss the demolition issue on a village level since most of Irisan’s roughly 30,000 residents are affected by the issue.

IPADeGG members question demolition orders that are based on demands by titleholders and land claimants. Holders of original certificates of title (OCT) and transfer certificates (TCT), who are big land speculators and non-Baguio residents claim that squatters have illegally occupied their lands.

Public lands up for sale

In a primer circulated by IPADeGG, it asserts that most areas in Irisan are public lands based on the NAMRIA record showing the lands in Irisan as unclassified forest. Only lands classified as alienable and disposable can be titled. According to several Supreme Court rulings, all titles issued, however genuine and validated are null and void.

IPADeGG also questions the involvement of some previous and present city officials in the sale of these lands to private speculators and business groups. In some land cases in Cypress, IPADeGG says, demolition victims claim that government officials are themselves part owners of the land cleared of shanties owned by people they call squatters. This explains why these officials are avidly pursuing demolition actions. Elsewhere in Irisan, a highly placed government official is reportedly involved in personally financing and acquiring lands.

IPADeGG members believe that they have legitimate cause to defend their houses from being demolished. Their claim is bolstered by the fact that these lands are public lands and they have developed these lands into a progressive community as it now stands.

Defending basic right to security of abode

The IPADeGG meeting resolved to actively defend their right to their security of abode, a right guaranteed by the Philippine Constitution, by responding to actual demolition actions and opposing it in various ways. They plan to hold petition signing campaigns, pickets and barricades. They will lobby city hall officials to investigate and punish perpetrators of unjust demolition actions. They also vowed to oppose and expose cases of land speculation and sale of public lands by public officials.

They are also calling for the conversion of Irisan lands from its unclassified forest status to alienable and disposal classification. At the same time, they ask that these lands be awarded to present and actual occupants. To do this, they are lobbying Congress, through their partylist representatives from Anakpawis and Bayan Muna to sponsor a bill for this purpose.

IPADeGG is presently conducting two petition-signing activities to kick-off its campaign. The first is a petition asking the DENR to make a clarification on the legal status of lands covered by several original certificates of title. This will hopefully stop the title holders from harassing occupants, exacting usurious payments, threatening them of demolition and court cases. The other petition is directed against Atty. Melchor Rabanes, the city legal officer and Engr. Nazita Banez, head of the city demolition team on the grounds of grave abuse and violation of human rights. # Salvador B. Ramo for NORDIS

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