Purisima villagers in Manapla say fight vs. pollution, ‘forced ejection’ to go on; Say desperate for urgent help from Malacanang

Years of bearing with air, water and land pollution, with their complaints not given attention.

Years of gradually losing their farms, without getting help.

Years of fighting for their rights as land reform beneficiaries, without given justice.

Decades of tenancy dating back to their great grandparents being ignored.

Destruction of their plaza and playground, and fencing of their access road to their residences, without considering their plight.

These are just among urgent concerns and complaints that residents of Barangay Purisima in Manapla – where the VMC alcohol distillery facilities are being expanded “into agrarian reform areas”, wanted to bring to the attention of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Residents, who bonded together and organized the Save Purisima Movement, also claim they “were not consulted” ever since, and are being “harassed, threatened and isolated” for their refusal to vacate their decades-old houses.

They told newsmen who went to the barangay on their request a few days ago, that they are desperately seeking the help of President Duterte and Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson. Some of them already had their Certificates of Land Ownership (CLOAs), they said.

Government agencies that are supposed to help, assist and act on their grievances are pointing to each other, they said, alleging that such offices “are influenced,” the complaining residents also told newsmen.

“We don’t know where else to go since the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and local agrarian reform offices and local officials are not acting on our cry for help,” they said.

RESIDENTS

One of the complaining residents is 71-year-old CLOA holder Dolores Managaytay who was awarded a 2.4-hectare lot by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). The 106-hectare lot where they have been living since the time of her parents, she claimed, is being encroached by the VMC alcohol plant.

“Look at their alcohol plant structures. We are bombarded with toxic fumes and flammable gases that could ignite fire anytime. Our health is already suffering. Our safety is in great danger,” she said.

She called as “forced ejection” the effort of the distillery to remove them from where their “ancestral” houses in which they live are standing.

UNDER PHILIPPINE GOVERNMENT

Randy Bacaron, another complainant and former employee of VMC, said that the disputed 106-hectare property being occupied by the distillery plant has been titled under the name of the Philippine government since 2013, with Land Bank of the Philippines having paid more than P24 million for its purchase.

“I resigned (from VMC alcohol plant) because I can no longer bear the situation of my kids that everytime I go home they keep complaining about the suffocating odor from the plant where I was working. I am also the first one to lead my fellow Purisima residents to fight for our rights,” Bacaron said.

“How can VMC claim they now own this land? They can’t even show us documents to prove it! But we have documents showing that only the President of the Philippines can transfer the ownership. Even DAR Secretary John Castriociones has an order stating that all acts pertaining to CLOAS must go through his office and not through any attached offices of DAR, so how come they claim they own this? Some of us already have CLOAs and soon more,” Bacaron stressed.

“If they can show us documents that they own this, and they give us relocation and assistance, then perhaps we will abandon this area where our great grandparents, parents and us were born and tilled the land,” he said.

“We are appealing to President Duterte to hear our complaints,” he said, adding that they are also seeking the help of San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, who is an environmentalist.

He said they are also up in arms against the fencing of the area, including their plaza, basketball court, and access road which, they said, “make our lives more miserable”.

“Our youths here… We lost the playground and plaza we had… Can’t they see we are also humans and the poorest of the poor? Do they have conscience?,” Bacaron added.

MAYOR, BRGY. CAPTAIN

When asked about the action of the Manapla local government to their complaints, they alleged that Manapla Mayor Manuel Escalante is siding with the VMC alcohol plant, along with their Barangay Captain Creseciano Sombero.

Mayor Escalante told media months ago that he gave the VMC alcohol plant a permit to operate since it had complied with Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Department of Agriculture (DA) requirements.

Brgy. Captain Sombrero meanwhile, is an employee of the Lucio Tan-controlled company and subsequently sides with the alcohol facility, and even denied there was any complaint from his residents about pollution and other issues brought out by the SPM.

“We thank people who are helping us. We are poor and uneducated. Some of us were tricked to sign papers but our fight goes on. Pollution alone is anti-human. We are human beings. We need to survive and support our family. We will keep on fighting for justice. We are peace loving. We just wanted to be treated as humans,” he added.

“We are urging more media people, civic organizations, environment groups, to come here to Purisima and experience for themselves what we are going through. Talk to us. Help us,” he added.* (Arman P. Toga)