Republic of the Philippines

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Quezon City

FIFTEENTH CONGRESS
First Regular Session

HOUSE RESOLUTION No. 1236

_____________________________________________________________________________
_Introduced by Reps. TEDDY A. CASIÑO, NERI JAVIER COLMENARES,
LUZVIMINDA C. ILAGAN, RAFAEL V. MARIANO, RAYMOND V.
PALATINO, ANTONIO L. TINIO and EMMI A. DE JESUS

RESOLUTION
DIRECTING THE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN RIGHTS TO CONDUCT AN
INQUIRY, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, INTO THE UNLAWFUL AND
VIOLENT DEMOLITION OF HOUSES AND UNWARRANTED SHOOTING
IN PANGARAP VILLAGE, BARANGAYS 181 AND 182, CALOOCAN CITY,
ALLEGEDLY PERPETRATED BY THE CARMEL DEVELOPMENT INC. (CDI)
OWNED BY GREGORIO MA. ARANETA III AND THEIR HIRED SECURITY
AGENCY, SECURICOR CORP.

WHEREAS, on April 28, 2011, an indiscriminate shooting rocked the 156-

hectare Pangarap Village community in Barangays 181 and 182, Caloocan
City. The incident is the latest of a series of harassment and illegal activities
conducted by the Gregorio “Greggy” Ma. Araneta III-owned Carmel
Development Inc. (CDI) and its hired security agency Securicor Corporation.
The said Araneta company had been trying to intimidate and force out the
residents of Pangarap Village to lay claim, clear out the area and turn it into
a commercial business enclave;

WHEREAS, reports say that guards from Securicor Corp. opened fire near
the place where residents were holding a peaceful vigil. A barangay driver
who tried to shield the vigil area with a dump truck was shot on the arm
while a resident was hit on the hand, requiring further surgery to restore its
motor functions. A minor aged 16 years old was also shot at the jaw;

WHEREAS, not only was the shooting a criminal offense and a gross display
of disregard for human life and law and order, the demolition itself was done
well beyond the allowed time for demolitions and by a private entity, without
any designated government agency and local government unit. What is more
disappointing is the reported presence of the Caloocan City Police which
allegedly did nothing to protect the residents;
WHEREAS, most importantly, no demolition can take place, with a pending
case in the Supreme Court contesting CDI’s ownership of the massive 7,008
hectare area. The area, almost half the size of Caloocan City, includes
Pangarap Village which is part of “Tala Estate,” historically a Leper Colony as
determined by Commonwealth Act 161. The Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR) itself had filed a case (GR No. 187876) against CDI
for illegally claiming the land. A number of government buildings, schools
and churches have long been occupying the area;

WHEREAS, according to the DENR, CDI had failed to prove that it had fully
paid for the land, which is supposedly part of the “Friar Lands,” “over which
the Government holds title and are not public lands but private or
patrimonial property of the Government and can be alienated only upon
proper compliance with Act No. 1120 or the Friar Lands Act.” Not only had
the company failed to prove the validity of its title, they may have illegally
bought it. There was no proof that the original sale was approved by the
Director of Lands and neither was the original owner a current occupant of
the land, contrary to Commonwealth Act 32 which stated that only actual
and bona fide occupants at the time the land (Friar Lands) was conveyed to
the Government of the Philippine Islands shall be entitled to purchase the
land they actually occupy. DENR also asserted that a certain “Maceda
Report” had found sufficient basis that Carmel Farms, Inc., adding insult to
injury, illegally encroached upon adjacent property of the government.

WHEREAS, among the unlawful activities of CDI and Securicor are the
establishment of private guards’ outposts at every entrance point of
Pangarap Village, and the CDI’s prohibition and/or restriction of the entry of
construction materials for the construction or repair of the residents’ houses;

WHEREAS, “Notices to vacate,” signed by a certain Mike Tome, Security

Manager of CDI, have been distributed to Pangarap Village residents by CDI
security guards reportedly armed with M16 and/or M14 rifles. Barangay
officials are in fact being bypassed by these armed private security guards
who are paid to demolish houses past midnight;

WHEREAS, just recently, the Pangarap Village Tricycle Operators and

Drivers’ Association (PV-TODA) was notified of a possible cancellation of their
franchise, supposedly facilitated by the CDI to further harass and intimidate
the locals;

WHEREAS, residents have also complained that the CDI have long been
attempting to fence the whole area, in an attempt to pass themselves off as
the real occupants of the land. It suffices to say that the Araneta-owned CDI
is engaging in unlawful activities amid its pending case against DENR in the
Supreme Court;
WHEREAS, in the face of the apparent inaction of the local PNP and the city
government of Caloocan, it is imperative for Congress to look into the
situation to help defuse the violence, break the climate of fear and come up
with remedial measures on the controversial land dispute;

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Committee on Human Rights

conduct an inquiry, in aid of legislation, into the unlawful and violent
demolition of houses and unwarranted shooting in Pangarap Village,
Barangays 181 and 182, Caloocan City, allegedly perpetrated by the Carmel
Development Inc. (CDI) owned by Gregorio Ma. Araneta III and their hired
security agency, Securicor Corporation.

Adopted,

TEDDY A. CASIÑO NERI JAVIER COLMENARES

Bayan Muna Party-list Bayan Muna

Party-list

LUZVIMINDA C. ILAGAN RAFAEL V. MARIANO

Gabriela Women’s Party Anakpawis Party-
list

RAYMOND V. PALATINO ANTONIO L. TINIO

Kabataan Party-list ACT Teachers Party-
list

EMMI A. DE JESUS
Gabriela Women’s Party