Farmers cry arson as homes on MRT path burn

THE JULY 4 fire turned these houses into ashes in Paradise 3 village in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan province. Farmers who lived here alleged that armed men set their homes on fire. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

CITY OF MALOLOS—More than 50 farmers and their families were left homeless on Monday when fire gutted their houses along the route of the proposed Metro Railway Transit (MRT) in the City of San Jose del Monte in Bulacan province.

Eriberto Peña, president of the federation of farmers’ organizations, said the houses in Paradise 3 village in San Jose del Monte were intentionally set on fire.

But arson had not been established, based on a preliminary investigation, according to Supt. Gary Alto, Bulacan fire marshal.

He said the Bureau of Fire Protection and the San Jose del Monte police were looking into the farmers’ allegations that armed men had poured gasoline on their houses at 1 a.m. on July 4 while the families were asleep.

The families ran to safety before the houses were razed, Peña said, adding that the farmers’ children clung to some of the armed men to stop them from pouring more gasoline into the fire.

Seven houses were burned. The two houses that were spared were made of concrete and now served as temporary shelters for the victims.

Peña said the families were earlier asked to leave their homes inside a 14-hectare private lot that is part of the perimeter development of the 22.8-kilometer Manila Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT 7), which will connect San Jose del Monte to Manila.

But Peña said the farmers would not leave their farms, which they had been tilling for more than 30 years.

“We are not against the MRT 7 project. We are angry because we are being displaced without new farms. We cannot leave because these farms are our livelihood,” he said.

One of the last discussions they had with the lot owners in February involved a P50,000 gratuity to each farmer who would give up their claims, but the farmers refused the offer, Peña said.

Edward Ignacio, former city administrator of San Jose del Monte, said the disputed land had been classified as part of a development zone under the city’s comprehensive land use plan. Carmela Reyes-Estrope, Inquirer Central Luzon