A Matter Of Life and Death for SRFA

A letter of appeal by Fr. Crispin Mostajo, CSsR (FARDEC Chairperson) and Ms. Estrella Catarata (FARDEC Executive Director)

This is just to update our partners of the sad situation of an impending eviction currently faced by our fellow farmers, the San Roque Farmers Association (SRFA) in Bonbon, Aloguinsan, Cebu.SRFA is composed of more than 86 farming households farming in 168 hectares of land  tilled by their peasant parents since 1910's. To note, in the 70's farmers were given Certificate of Land Transfers as supposedly beneficiaries of the government's agrarian reform program PD 27 Operation Land Transfer. In the early 1990's, farmers were threatened with eviction by the ”claiming landowner" Gantuangco ordering them to stop harvesting their corn produce. Then in 1993, the  farmers, fed up with the oppressive treatment of the Gantuangco's, decided to organize themselves to assert their right. They formed the SRFA and collectively succeeded in harvesting their produce and stayed on the lands they are farming until now. 
 
In the late 1990's, as they kept on following up with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) the status of land reform implementation so that they could get their land titles, they were informed by DAR that the land is actually a public land therefore it is the DENR which has the jurisdiction. SRFA farmers later got hold of a DENR - certified cadastral claim certificates as cadastral claimants. SRFA experienced relative peace and security of tenure when the Gantuangco administrator left the community since then while farmers kept on lobbying with the DENR and DAR. The SRFA  farmers are now engaging in sustainable agriculture practices and managing their own potable water project. 
 
Since the first quarter of the year 2011 however, threats of an impending eviction became more glaring. SRFA farmers have no choice but to brace themselves in facing this threat. On March 30, 2011, truckloads of fencing materials, fully armed security guards and armed goons came   and attempted to fence their farms.    But SRFA farmers   successfully stopped them.    Since March 30 until now, SRFA camped - out and are keeping their vigilance. There were several attempts since then to put up the fences to which the SRFA farmers succeeded in warding off the land through collective efforts. The peasant women played a big role since every human barricade they formed, it’s the peasant women who were in the front lines. 
 
On 29th June 2011, the Gantuangco's mobilized more than a hundred armed goons and workers, security guards and K9 dogs.  The Gantuangco’s also has the 78th Infantry Batallion of the Philippine Army which is having a detachment camp in the area. The SRFA farmers sought the help of the municipal mayor, the barangay captain and the police to keep the peace and prevent untoward violence.  But, the mayor and   barangay captain were tentative.  Sadly, the police sided with the Gantuangco's. The DAR and DENR seemed helpless as well. 
 
The SRFA strongly stood and collectively prevented the fencing attempts. The Gantuangco guards fired their guns and used their K9 dogs to bite the peasant women in the front lines. But still, the SRFA farmers succeeded in preventing the eviction. 
 
One of the "hired lawyers of the Gantuangco came to FARDEC office asking for FARDEC to convince the farmers to give in to the Gantuangco’s. But, FARDEC told the lawyer that FARDEC could not decide in behalf of the farmers for it is their lives and livelihood which are at stake nor could it facilitate what the Gantuangco's wanted for it could never compromise its INTEGRITY and STAND as a farmers institution.  
 
On August 10, 2011 in the morning, a court order from RTC Branch 59 of Toledo City was received by FARDEC as one of the defendants with the SRFA in an Injunction Case filed by the Gantuangco's for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO).  The TRO is for SRFA, FARDEC and other support groups to restrain and bar them for 72 hours so that the Gantuangco's could pursue their fencing and ejectment of the farmers.    On August 11, the following day was the summary hearing on whether or not, the TRO will be extended for another 20 days or not.  In the morning of the 11th however, again, more than a hundred armed goons and security guards with the Aloguinsan police tried   to fence the 168 farms invoking the court's order for TRO.  Again, the SRFA farmers formed human barricades with the peasant women on the front lines defying the court order.  The SRFA, once again, succeeded. 
 
Since yesterday, with the Court's decision to extend the TRO for 17 days, the farmers are faced with 17 days of probably harsher harassment and eviction efforts to really kick out the farmers from their farms.     
 
These acts of connivance between the Gantuangco, the court, the police and the military inflicted so much injustice in the lives of farmers who are already suffering from poverty and who only have this land as their only means of survival. Where will they go if they will be evicted? How can the court simply issue a TRO against farmers and FARDEC when in fact, the Gantuangco could not even present a legal proof of ownership of the land? If the Gantuangco’s can successfully get rid of the farmers in the 168 hectare lands, will this be another case of land use conversion losing such a prime agricultural corn lands to pave way for a “ship building, ship breaking industry” at the expense of the farmers, our food security and the environment? How and when can the government such as the DAR and DENR truly make a decisive stand and side with the famers?
 
This is a matter of LIFE AND DEATH TO THE SRFA FARMERS. We are calling and appealing to all partners for any support to help the SRFA by writing to concerned government officials, the judiciary, the media and all other possible support we could muster to put pressure, lobby, appeal to  one’s conscience and hearts.