ANGELES CITY—They arrived onboard a jeepney and a pickup truck and laid out a picnic blanket on the grass before plowing the field with a tractor and other farm implements.
This could very well be a typical scene in some remote location somewhere in Central Luzon on a drizzling midday Thursday.
But this is inside the sprawling and modern, championship golf course of the Royal Garden Golf and Country Club along the Clark Circumferential Road in Barangay Cutcut here.
The men bore armed shovels and sickles as they plowed the empty field next to golf greens, mansions, resort, hotels, chapels, a clubhouse, a privately owned satellite communications radar, restaurants, including the popular convention center Grand Palazzo Royale and Ciocolo Coffee Shop.
The men and women refused to make a comment or say anything other than: “Sabyan mu kang Apung Perto mikit-ikit naka mi keng DAR. [Tell Mr. Perto that we will just see each other at the DAR office],” apparently referring to the Department of Agrarian Reform.
One of the men started sowing mongo seeds as soon as the land was plowed by the tractor, unmindful of this reporter who wanted to know what’s going on.
Businessman Ruperto Cruz, owner of the 140-hectare property, described them as agaw-lupa, or land grabbers,” or just plain extortionists.
The landowner said he has every document to prove that his property was acquired legally, including transfer certificate of titles, environmental clearance certificate, a DAR conversion, mayor’s permit and a business permit, among others. Cruz said he even has a favorable court resolution, which he secured after 18 years of litigation with some of the claimants.
Cruz showed this reporter how they invaded the property by destroying the perimeter fence near hole number 12 on the golf course.
A security guard of the subdivision said they came in through another area south of the perimeter fence of the subdivision which they also tore down.
Policemen from the nearby Cuayan Police Station responded to the call, but were told by the invaders that it is beyond their jurisdiction since the area is considered part of neighboring Porac town.
The police quickly coordinated with their counterparts in Porac, who monitored the incident and put it in the blotter.
On Wednesday, Cruz is set to file a formal complaint against the so-called land grabbers.