277 houses removed in demolition in Batangas

SAN JUAN, Batangas—Police-escorted workers demolished on Thursday at least 277 houses of informal settlers on a beach-front property locally dubbed “Boracay” for its white sand in Barangay Laiya Aplaya, a popular tourist destination here.

“We call our place as such because of the beautiful beach view. This is the only place in San Juan with white sand,” said Tessie Landicho, a community leader.

Landicho, 45, a member of Samahan ng Kabahayan at Mangingisda ng Balabacan Laiya, said the settlers were told that a beach resort would rise on the property in Sitio Balacbacan.

“We thought the demolition would not push through,” said Elsie Lucero, 26, one of the displaced residents. She said a petition for a temporary restraining order had been filed in court.

People tried to put up a human barricade but yielded before noon to hundreds of demolition workers and truckloads of armed police from the Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon) police office. Many houses were made of concrete and had tiles.

A court sheriff, Romeo Macaraig, carried the writ of demolition issued by the municipal and regional trial courts in San Juan town in September last year. He was accompanied by Senior Supt. Jireh Omega Fidel, provincial police director.

The court ordered the eviction of some 1,000 people occupying the 25-hectare property owned by Laiya Development Corp. and Macaria Development Corp. Both companies are registered under a certain Federico Campos III.

San Juan Mayor Rodolfo Manalo said the local government had to obey the court order. He said each displaced family was given P7,000, food items and a 100-square-meter lot on a relocation site in the town. Marrah Lesaba and Maricar Cinco, Inquirer Southern Luzon