John Hay villagers protest BCDA security firm

BAGUIO CITY—Officials of barangays in Camp John Hay have asked agencies like the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) to intervene on their behalf in removing private security guards hired by the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) who, they said, have been harassing residents there.

The villages of Lower Dagsian, Upper Dagsian, Greenwater Village, Sta. Escolastica, Loakan Proper, Loakan Liwanag, Lucnab, Happy Hallow, Country Club Village, Outlook, Camp 7, Scout Barrio and Loakan Apugan, issued on April 25 a joint resolution against the Catalina Security Agency for “harassment, intimidation, threats and other forms of provocative acts.”

BCDA is required to segregate these villages from Camp John Hay to fulfill one of the 19 prerequisites set by the Baguio government when it endorsed John Hay’s privatization in 1994.

The villages now make up the “Barangay Segregation from BCDA Segregation Movement,” which has pursued the latest segregation efforts being undertaken by the John Hay Management Corp. (JHMC), a subsidiary of BCDA’s Bases Group of Companies.

“Concerned barangay officials and ordinary citizens encountered unpleasant and fearful experiences with the security personnel of Catalina Security Agency in various occasions,” said the resolution.

“The existence of Catalina Security Agency will only create further conflict among and between affected barangays and JHMC,” it added.

But Arnel Paciano Casanova, BCDA president, said the barangay officials were mistaken. “The so-called alleged provocative acts by BCDA security personnel were exaggerated, if not altogether a malicious lie meant to put the state-run agency in a bad light.”

In a statement, BCDA said Barangay Greenwater had petitioned to evict Catalina Security Agency for its refusal to allow construction materials to enter the community without the permission of JHMC.

“We have instructed our security personnel to act with due courtesy and in accordance with the law,” said Casanova.

Catalina Security Agency was recently involved in a feud with the Warbird Security Agency, a firm hired by Camp John Hay Development Corp. (CJHDevco), which has an ongoing contractual dispute with BCDA.

Albert Escalderon, chief of Warbird Security Agency, said they received information about a supposed plan of BCDA and JHMC to “forcibly take over the entire leased premises” of John Hay.

“Our main concern is that your security guards posted within the John Hay premises were ordered to shoot anybody who would stand in the way during the forcible takeover by BCDA and JHMC,” he said in a letter to Placido Urbanes III, general manager of the Catalina Security Agency. Urbanes has denied this allegation.