42 families arrested, evicted out of Camiguin islet

November 1, 2008

By Lizanilla J. Amarga

Some 42 families were arrested for illegally squatting at a government owned property in Mantigue island, Mahinog which is set to be turned into a top eco-tourist destination by the Provincial Government of Camiguin.
In an email yesterday, Sr.M. Francis Añover, RSM gave a detailed description on how the families were thrown out of their homes as early as 2:00 a.m., rounded-up and then “illegally held” against their will inside the a gym last Wednesday.
She said local officials did not fulfill their promises when they offered the affected families a relocation site in Barangay San Roque, with each family to be given a sack of rice, P5,000 and a 10-day carpenter assistance as what was given was only a half sack rice for each family who left the island and went to the relocation site, and only five-day carpenter assistance.
According to Anover, the local officials also promised P10,000 and a livelihood assistance for all families who will opt to transfer to the relocation site but such were not received by those who went to new site.
“Hence the families who volunteered felt they were duped, in fact some of them went back to the island and are staying with their relatives,” she said in her e-mail to this paper.
She added that some of those arrested were served with warrants of arrests but have already posted bail.
But Camiguin former governor now Cong. Pedro Romualdo said they have long been requesting these families to vacate the 4.4 hectares of land which was declared as a protected area by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
He said he and his son incumbent Camiguin Governor Jesus Jardin had time and again tried to negotiate with these families to leave the area and allow the “fauna and flora to flourish” anew.
Romualdo said that these families were not actually from the place but were from the island of Bohol and are illegal settlers who are driving away rare wildlife species and bringing in waste in the area.
“Gahi gyud kana sila ug ulo mao kana gidakop sila (They are hard-headed and that is why they were arrested),” he told Gold Star Daily.

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Written by admin · Filed Under Camiguin