It was with a sense of extreme urgency and desperation that Maria Teresa “Thez” Guerrero sought an audience with Sen. Loren Legarda last Monday .
Thez said her grandmother- in -law’s question (“Nalpasen?” or Is it done) about their land case is becoming more frequent. 
Thez’s grandmother-in-law is Estefania Miguel Guerrero, who turned 104 years old last April. The Guerreros are engaged in a land dispute that has spanned more than 50 years, drained not only their finances but claimed the lives of two men in their family.
Thez said everyday her Lola Estefania would go out to the field and remove the weeds from the land. “Parang nabubuhay lang siya para doon sa lupa,” she said worried that the old woman is not getting stronger.
It is the ardent wish of the Guerrero family that before Lola Estefania meets the Creator, she would have the joy of seeing the vast land they once owned restored to them. That would be justice.
Sen. Legarda agreed to meet with Thez but the senator had other visitors last Monday. Legarda’s chief legal counsel, Atty. Gigi Martinez, however, attended to Thez.
Atty. Martinez said given that the case is with the executive department, all that the senator could do is write a letter to the regional director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to enforce the Oct. 26, 2006 order of then Environment Secretary Angelo Reyes “to immediately initiate cancellation and reversion proceedings against the Original Certificate of Titles issued over Lots 7035-A,7035-E and 7035-F, or portions thereof, for not only utilizing a fictitious and spurious subdivision plan but for having been acquired through fraud and misrepresentation.”
Going through the voluminous documents that the Guerreros have compiled through all these years of legal and bureaucratic battles can be very intimidating and overwhelming.
Gemma Bagayaua in October 2004 issue of Newsbreak pieced the claims and counterclaims together for an outstanding piece about the Lola’s Esfania’s lonely and painful fight for what rightfully belongs to her family.
Culling from Newsbreak’s article, the story is about “Estefania’s claim based on the Homestead application (H.A. 151736) she filed sometime in the 1920s for a parcel of land in what used to be part of the municipality of Santiago, Isabela.”
Newsbreak said: “The index card to her file at the land Management Bureau (LMB) shows that Estefania’s application covers roughly 24 hectares of land and is designated as Lot 7035 under the Santiago cadastre. By Estefania’s account, that parcel of land used to be tilled by her father, Apolinario Miguel who, decided to bring his family (they used to live in Reina Mercedes, Isabela) to what was then Bgy Curag, Isabela, in the early 1900s upon learning of huge tracts of land there waiting to be tilled.
“Sometime in 1924, when she was still single, Estefania filed her homestead application for the land her father used to till. While her application was pending, Estefania met Andres and began living with him in 1929. Andres, in turn, tilled Lot 7035.”
Based on the documents, Estefania’s troubles started when the municipality of San Mateo was created. In November 1946, Estefania’s husband signed an affidavit relinquishing his right to one hectare of Lot 7035 then occupied by the public market.
Before the Guerreros knew it, they lost their entire 24-hectare property. The Guerreros are now living in San Mateo on the land they inherited from their father.
In 1954, Andres Guerrero and his son were sideswiped by a car after attending a hearing of the case. The son survived but Andres died.
In 1971, Estefania’s son, Onofre, was killed in his house when he was about to have dinner. The killer fired the shot from under the house through the Guerrero’s bamboo floor.
With the intention of avenging their father and grandfather’s deaths, the three Guerrero sons-Romeo, Renato and Onofre, Jr. – joined the Philippine Army. The Guerrero brothers’ remains determined to get justice but their rage has been tempered by advice from military superiors against taking the law into their hands.
That, aside from Lola Estefania’s advanced years, is the reason for Thez Guerrero feeling of urgency and desperation about the case.
I bet you Senator Legarda would capitalize on the story. That’s a good vehicle to her presidential ambition in 2010. Sa ngayon kasi, kailangan ng mga ambisyosong pulitiko ang mga ganitong exposure. Between now and 2010, expect the likes of Loren to flood the media and entertainment industry. Maaga pa ba? Hindi…lalo na kung iisiping napakaraming mga pulitiko ang gustong tumakbong President and Vice in 2010.
“Pay up,” you say, Anna? Ang then what? With a dorobo even coveting the whole Philippines for her and her family, I doubt if they will give this family their dues.
Landgrabbing being committed by a robbing government? How can this family win?
Please enlighten me. Did the Municipality of San Mateo get all the 24 hectares? I understand that Lolo Guerrero relinquished to the town the rights of only one hectare. Who got the rest? If it’s the town of San Mateo then it follows that the municipality has the fake documents of the entire 24 hectares. Why not pay up na lang as Anna suggested?
But there’s a case of harassment here because 2 members of the family got killed. Who are the people interested in the property outside of Lola Estefania’s family and the municipality? I don’t think that the municipality ordered the killings, unless there is someone “malakas” running it.
I think, Anna, God is prolonging the life of this old woman for justice to be served right. Otherwise, let the wrath of heaven fall on those who have coveted these lands that are the birthright of her children and their posterities.
As for getting compensated for these lands grabbed from them, I doubt. Over in the Philippines, they have not grown to maturity yet to believe that anyone, especially without financial resources, can succeed in suing and winning his case against the government, especialy one run like hell by a grabber, who holds judges of the Philippine courts by the neck!
“The request is simple..bago mamatay yong matanda ma restore man lang ang lupa niya.” 24 hectares is not much..
how much would it cost for the one who grabbed it to give it back? Would it cost more than a million? Even if it would- it is not too much..to indemnify this poor old woman..104 years..”The family needs more than Loren Legarda to help them..nagbakasakali sila na matulungan sila ni Loren..at tinulungan nga..Kahit seguro sino ang malalapitan lalapitan nila para sa matanda siempre mas lalo ang politicians. Wala bang maitulong ang gobierno? wala bang maitulong ang mayayaman sa Isabela..hindi ba si Enrile taga doon? Kawawa naman!
Maitatanong lang ako, puede? Talking of justice mukhang mas untouchable si Abalos ngayon. Sino ang malakas ngayon kay GMA si Esperon or si Abalos? May senate investigation ba itong ZTE?..magsasalita daw ang anak ni JdV at si Neri ay nagsalita na rin..what a mess!
Rose,
You have a point there. They can make a celebrity of this old woman who has reached over a hundred considering the fact that they have one of the shortest longevity span in the Philippines. They can make a reward for her long life and emulate her life style that contributed to her long life the return of her family’s birthright!
But as noted, the lands may not be that much but they are located at strategic places like the place where they now have a market. Malaking pera iyan if the city is renting it out to vendors. Hindi nila iyan bibitiwan.
Landgrabbing there is infamous as a matter of fact. My aunt was a victim, likewise. She cleared up some lands in Nueva Ecija, and not being married, they should automatically go to the nearest of kin, her sisters when she died. Wala na! Hindi na makita ang mga papeles niya.
Land reform was not implemented nor land grabbing stopped during the US occupation of the Philippines. It was even worse after Philippine independence was granted.
BTW, Enrile is not from Isabela. He is from Cagayan.
Rose,
Iyong mga sinasabing salita, kwidaw ka. Parang parinig lang iyan doon sa unano kung magbabayad siya for their silence. Pustahan tayo walang mangyayari sa testigo ng dalawang iyan.
Lakas talaga ni Kabalen Abalos. Matagal na akong duda sa mamang iyan, from day one he was appointed as Chief Commissioner of the Comelec. Any appointee ni unano should have been subject to scrutiny and should not have been approved nor allowed to get a salary, etc. without a confirmed appointment. Dapat diyan meron na silang mga batas para countermeasure sa mga kalokohang binalak ng mga mag-asawang Pidal. Common sense lang naman ang kailangan sa totoo lang.
I also have a similar axe to grind. Imagine the DENR issued ten titles to different people over our small lot in the north which is titled to my olds. Thats how it is anywhere. I am planning to give it away to the Muslim market and sidewalk vendors there. I have already initiated talking with the governor’s office about it. About time our legislators come up with an alternative to the CARP law. Take back all those lands. Rent any area to those interested to farm it. And give a residential lot of his choice free to everyone coming of age but ownership is co-terminus to his demise. That way there would be no quarrels to inherit or not to inherit.
Yuko: I didn’t know magkabalen pala..kaya pala untouchable.
Landgrabbing is not new..but I thought sa Mindanao lang..way back I was with the Work A Year With the People Project of Manglapus and we had in the group young lawyers grads of Ateneo, who volunteered to help getting the titles
We were fresh from college- full of ideals..and we joined RM in his Fiesta for Progress,WAY-Maria (MedicalAssistance in Rural Areas). Kaya lang pinasukan ni Dr. Pacifico Marcos and his group..and all we did at meetings were photo ops..nawalan kami ng kana. And we also had Free Farmers with J Montemayor..and we used to go to Bulacan –to work for Land Reforms..2007 na ngayon problem pa din..Grabe! Sana may tumulong..
Rose:
We know landgrabbing existed even during the Spanish rule. Rizal wrote about it in his novels. Grabe pa nga noon because the friars were the landgrabbers, and the lands they grabbed no doubt went to their children!
It was the number issue against the US occupation likewise. I did not know much about that but a year or two ago, I helped edit a special documentary for a Japanese TV. It was about the peasant uprising in Southern Luzon in the 20’s and 30’s.
In fact, it gave way to the establishment of the Sakdal movement, the original group that actually supported the Japanese Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere even as early as the early 30’s. They were farmers who were fighting for land reform and very much against the landgrabbers. The most aggressive actually came from Rizal (Pasig, Montalban, Marikina, etc.), Batangas and Laguna.
The Americans apparently did not listen to them.
…No. 1 issue…
The Iron law of oligarchy a political theory developed by sociologist Robert Michels in 1911 states that all forms of organization, regardless of how democratic or autocratic they may be at the start, will eventually and inevitably develop into oligarchies. A political dynasty is an example of an oligarchy and Isabela is a blessed (bloody, if you will) example, spoiled only by that naughty neophyte Governor Grace Paduca. Trying to undo the dynastic entrenchments will require Herculean might, let alone one in crutches like Gov Paduca. And the effort must penetrate the chaos and anarchy in the CARP, DENR and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB). Valdemar and DKG’s namesake (relative?) will have to wait mighty long. Mabayag pay, saan nga nalpasen.
Btw, the CfC-Gawad Kalinga split seems to be another illustration of this effect.
Since the land reform of Marcos though re absentee landlords subtle ang landgrabbing.. subtle in the sense pag wala ang landlord ang kasama ang naglalandgrab. If I remember right ang land reform ni Marcos..one is only allowed 10 hectares which he had to till..pag wala ka sorry ka nalang..Kasi ganito ang nangyari sa amin..my mom has some land in her name hanggang ngayon..but not one of us really attended to..my elder brother who lived in Antique but had died we thought would take care of it..namatay ang tenant mga apo na lang ngayon..namatay ang mother ko at dalawa na lang kaming buhay and both of us are here..so wala..ganoon din ang lupa ng tatay niya..and so with other cousins of hers..there is not much we can do.. kung sabagay mga kamaganak rin niya ang nandoon.. sa Maynila naman mga squatters naman ang naglalandgrab..as in the surroundings of Asian World..Ang asawa ng isang tiya said he had to pay the squatters 1,000 pesos each bago napaalis niya and he was able to sell his property to a rich chinese..who now is in Asian World..magulo..
Rose;
Ang pagkakaalam kong Land Reform ay matagal ng issue sa Pilipinas iyan panahon pa ni Mc Arthur.Kaya nga nagkaroon ng mga kristiano sa Mindanao ng dahil sa Land Reform ni Ramon Magsaysay,kaya sumuko ang mga Hukbalahap (Hukbong Bayan Laban sa Hapon) at humupa ang tensyon sa bundok ng Central Luzon na pinuno si Luis Taruc.
Hinikayat ni Magsaysay ng Defence Sedcretary siya na sumuko na sila at pinangakuan sila ng Lupain sa Mindanao.Mindoro at Palawan.Nag-immigrate sila ng walang passport sa teritoryo ng mga Muslim at Lumad at iyan ang simula ng kaguluhan hangga ngayon,pinaghalo niya ang mga muslim at kristiano at iyong lolo ng kumander ko ang unang naging mayor ng Lanao na appointed ni Magsaysay.Ayun minahal siya ng masang pilipino maging muslim man at kristiano at naging presidenti siya.Land ressetlement ang kay Magsaysay.Land Reform naman ang kay Marcos.Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) naman ang kay Cory.Land Repossession naman ang kay Arroyo.
Kaya iyang Land Reform or Land Repossession is heading nowhere but to the demise of the peasantry, only an agrarian revolution can now save the peasantry from this dismal future. The Landlords has a lot of ways to manipulate the system, they will divide it to all family members or they will plant mango and kasoy since only rice plantation is subjected to land reform. May magagawa ba ang mga tenant. If they don’t have a parcel of land, they no further blame the landlord but,their grannies,during those time in early 19th century masipag lang ang mga ninuno nila na maglinis ng bakanting lupa at magbakod ay may lupa sana silang mamanahin,o kaya’y kung namili sila ng mga lupain noon, ayun sa kuwento ng lolo ko isang sapatos lang daw na gamusa ang kapalit ng isang hectarya o kaya’y dalawang bakang kakatayin kapag ikakasal ang panganay nila ay ipagpapalit nila ang lupang naangkin nila.Ang lupa ang magandang investment kasi nand’yan lang iyan at hindi maibulsa ng magnanakaw lalo na kapag natamnan ng mga Kalamansi,May tatlong hectaria silang kalamasi na namumunga ay kuarta na.Sa Maynila nga ay mahal ang kalamansi,250 pesos ang isang hiniwa pero may kasamang palabok.
Off-topic lang muna. Marami na naman maaasar sa balitang ito:
MANILA, Philippines — Only former intelligence agent Vidal Doble showed up at Friday’s Senate investigation on the wiretapping scandal.
Senator Panfilo Lacson, who revived the case allegedly involving President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in poll fraud, said former Armed Forces chief of staff General Efren Abu has invoked Executive Order 464.
Abu has been appointed ambassador, Lacson said.
Lacson said Bishop Socrates Villegas of Bataan sent a letter to the Senate and said he won’t attend the hearing, citing “religious obligations.”
one thing wrong seemingly not noticed here was lola estefania’s husband’s signing of an affidavit “relinquishing his right to one hectare of Lot 7035 then occupied by the public market.” without lola’s consent being a conjugal property? ignorance taken advantaged of by the municipal officials?
if the kind of leaders then were that insensitive outrightly taking away any property from its rightful owner, how much more today when our “honorable” government officials are boasting of “next-to-god knowledge and wisdom” acquired thru masteral and doctorate studies from highly refuted universities?
wonder more?
“Sa Maynila nga ay mahal ang kalamansi,250 pesos ang isang hiniwa pero may kasamang palabok.”
he he he heeeh!
umarangkada na naman ang pareng cocoy.
parang ‘yung ninakaw ng kapitbahay namin. lubid na may nakataling baka sa dulo.
Rose:
I heard of those given lands in connection with the land reform during the time of Marcos. Point is a lot of those given lands to till had to sell them back to the former owners because they would not like to take responsibilities like paying property taxes, etc. without further support from the government. Wala kasing farmers’ cooperative to help them be productive for example. Nangyari balik ulit sa pagiging tenants. Tawag diyan, utak kamote!
These are my take on the 1st day of Senate Wiretap Probe:
1. Doble is not the wiretapper, but the Technical Personnel of both Smart and Globe Telecoms; Doble was just monitoring or listening into the conversations as feed thru by the service providers as per instructions by his superiors; He is not therefore liable of the Anti-Wiretapping Law. In releasing the “Hello Garci” CDs to the public, he may had offended this bogus administration but he has delighted the State/People for bringing out the truth.
2. The Malacanan Defense, Joker Enrile Gordon and Associates Law Office, failed to crush the witness’ credibility by asking personal questions – truth being on his side; Even if Doble admitted to have accepted P 2 million about 2 months after the expose, how can these Senators turned Defense Lawyers explain Glueria’s “I am sorry…” nationwide broadcast?
3. The rationale given by Soc Villegas that he is after the welfare of the Seminarians, therefore, had to surrender Doble to the authorities, is simply unpriestly and a gross treachery to the Spirit of Edsa to which he was once a part of. Soc, ang gusto po ng mga tao ay lumabas ang katotohanan. Bakit nyo po hinahadlangan? Ngayon magpapalusot ka pa! By the way, what church are you representing, Christ’s or Lucifera’s?
_________________________________________________________
Congratulations, Citizen Vidal Doble.
Malaya ka na!
Ang buong bayan na naniniwala pa sa katotohanan ay nagpapasalamat sa iyo ng higit pa sa iyong inaasahan.
landgrabing was quite normal immediately before and after the second world war.i am quite sure the history of pinas has a lot of injustices, but in this case, it started with the municipality’s expropriation of a small part of the land, while somebody took the rest.it should not be difficult to find the culprits if there is social justice in the pinas today.this life story is not only unique but also long, and deserves a happy ending.
It’s really so sad that’s this 104 years old woman and many like her have to suffer for so long because of lack/no social justice prevailing in Pinas.
***
Only last year, us, the 3 sisters bought the very propety our ancestors handed down to us. Imagine, nakamatayan na ng aming Lolo na amin ang property, he was paying it’s tax religiously, tapos ng mamatay siya ay kinakamkam ng iba.
Kaya lang pala hindi kaagad ginawa ang pagkamkam ay dahil ang mga matatanda ang mga nagkakaalaman (my granpa has the rights signed by previous owner, but it turned out that the latter still had the title). Nagkabayaran naman sila pero matanda sa matandang usapan daw.
Surprised, still my sister was able to pull one on them by telling them to go to court and she’d fight them up to the Supreme Court. Hangga raw sa mamatay lahat ay walang makikinabang sa tagal ng usapin.
Ayun, natakot ang mga herederos. My sis, armed with all the papers and tapang, faced them in a harapan meeting they sought. Naku, anim na pamilya sa katiting na lupa!
The spokeman of the other side said that the descendants wouldn’t do it to us, but because of poverty, halos wala na silang makain. (Totoo naman dahil ang mga namamasukan sa Maynila ay nawalan ng trabaho sa panahon ni Gloria Economissedta!) Pampalibing na lang daw sa mga natitirang matatanda. Inangku, e nakakabagbag damdamin!
All’s well that ends well. Mabait naman ang ate ko, besides alam niya na talo kami sa korte, at isa pa ang aming tatay na matanda na rin ay nagsimula ng mag-worry. Nagkasundo na kalahati sa tunay na presyo ang bilihan.
Heto ang nakakaawa, nang magbayaran ay humingi ng paumanhin ang isang miembro na kababata at kalaro ng ate ko. Hu!hu!hu!
At ng partihan na, sa dami ng pamilya ay pang-takip gutom lang sa ilang buwan ang mga kaparte.
Anyway, ang ginawa ng ate ko ay idiniposito sa pangalan ng matatanda nila ang ibang portion para meron daw pampalibing at ng hindi maging kawawa pagdating ng panahon.
At ang tatay ko ay maligaya rin dahil kanya na talaga ang lupang kanyang sinilangan. Happy ending!
Cocoy,
Thanks for the backgrounder. Totoo ba, ang palabok sa Maynila ay 250 pesos pero isang hiwa lang ang calamansi? Joking ka ano?
Mrivera,
Kaya ang tanong ko sa itaas, isang ektarya lang ang ipinamigay, sino ang mga may-ari ngayon ng 23 pa? Municipal officials na ba? Kasi ay merong mga napatay na 2 sa pamilya ni Lola?
Ayos ang obserbasyon mo na conjugal property ‘yan. Ignorance taken advantage of by conscienceless individuals.
“parang ‘yung ninakaw ng kapitbahay namin. lubid na may nakataling baka sa dulo.”
Heheh! Katupakan mo!
chi:i also have a private story to tell.my mother’s family came from sta maria, ilocos sur. in the 1930’s, many landowners with foreign blood were driven out to neighboring provinces including my mother’s.thus my father met my mother.happy ending, i was conceived.an uncle went to isabela and opened a homestead also in the 30’s.he started a family there for 20 years until after the war, they were also driven out of their land. so he came back to cabanatuan with his family.not so happy ending but they have moved forward with their lives since and their children found also their place in the sunny pinas.indeed there must be enough place for the 80 million or so remaining filipinos in pinas.we are not as stupid as others may want us to believe.
Sampot, I agree with your observation. Doble’s credibility and narration of facts could not be quashed by the Malacanang defenders. Obviously, Malacanang instructed all the witnesses and people subpoenaed not to appear; and then told the Malacanang senators to show up to grill Doble. Malinaw at halata naman ang ginawa. The intention was to hit the one and only person in the hearing that’s damaging to Malacanang and then no one from their (Malacanang) side was present. Kung baga sa basketball, ang kalaban na team lang ang naglaro pero iyon sa kabila hindi sumipot. Tapos, puro ang tawag na “foul” ng referee. What do these nincompoops think we are?
Si Soc Villegas naman, ano naman ang maaasahan natin sa protege ni Cardinal Sin. You must remember that when Sin was alive, he was very pro-GMA. Kahit katiting na pintas wala tayo narinig kay Sin (RIP) laban kay GMA. Siguro iyan ang bilin niya kay Villegas sa mga huling sandali ng buhay niya.
Certainly, Norpil. Armed with common sense, compassion and courage, pinoys are a unique race. And individually, we can find something good for us to move on and be happy without Gloria’s nagging for us to do so.
chi: pinas cannot move on with gma.
Ober da bintana, with sampayang alambre as panungkit, nagkamali pa! Heheheh!
Anna, masakit na ang tiyan ko sa katatawa kanina pa! Hhahahah!
Korek, norpil. If the whole Pinas can not move on with the tianak around, let’s not make this a reason why as an individual and family can not find something good in us and in our respective places, while participating in the search of a good administration in the process.
Anna,
Loved those stories of Pinoys that despite hardships have found happiness in what they do.
But for abusive Pinoys like the tianak, gusto kong patayin!
From Del Burgos:
I am a regular reader of your columns online. I didnt’ know Nana Paning (Estefania) is still alive. The Andres Guerrero and family were our neighbors in San Mateo, Isabela. The son, Urbano (Banong), who was in the vehicular accident with Tata Andres was my childmate and playmate. He must be in his early 60s now just as I am. The father and son were not sideswept by a car. The truck/bus they were in either fell into a ditch or had a head-on collision with another truck. It was so long ago that I don’t remember which is which. Banong was just about 7 years old at that time, and never went to school after the accident.
The son of Andres who was shot at from under their nipa hut was Manong “Iciong” and rumor has it that it was Victor Corpuz and NPA recruits who did the hit.
Tata Andres and Nana Paning had two daughters, Utti and Rosing. But I don’t recall the other offsprings you mentioned in your column today. Are you sure the Romeo, Renato and Onofre are Tata Andres and Nana Paning’s children? The youngest was Utti who should be in her late 50s now. Could it be that the three (Rome, Renato and Onofre) are the grandchildren?
More power and regards to you.
Del Burgos
San Jose, California
Del, thanks for the correction. Yes, Romeo, Renato and Onofre, Jr. are grandchildren.
Wow! Ang nararating na mga tao ng Ellenville. Amazing!
AdB: noong araw pa when the houses in Proj. 4 were low nanunungkit din sa loob ng bahay. pero dito din sa JC ang mga alms box or candles box puno ng bubble gum..yong wick linalagyan ng gum at sinusungit ang dollar..mga homeless but their thing is not to buy food but booze..
…kaya ako pumunta doon sa lugar ng mother ko..(I had fond memories of the place) kasi my sister in law gave me all the tax bills. I wanted to talk to my mother’s kins..na kahit isang bunga man lang ng kaimito that fenced the property and langka which is my favorite bigyan na man nila ang sister in law ko for our share..at yong sa Lolo kong property dalhan din ang pinsan ko..pero ako ang babayad ng taxes..hindi ata tama. I will still follow this up..and I hope they have a ripen langka fruit ready for me..
pechanco: kung hindi sisipot si Garci (at maysakit ata- uso rin pala ang sick call) sa investigation..di by default talo siya. Mayroon bang default sa bagay na ito? With regards to Bishop Villegas, witness lang siya..kung hindi sisipot hindi ba contempt of law? The rules of court or senate investigations are clear..pero sa dumi ng ginawa nila ay naging malabo..hindi na mabasa ang nakasulat..pambihira talaga kung hindi nawawala at ninakaw..ay madumi na man ang mga documents…Malungkot!
AdeBrux: As my brother says, the hardline NPAs were nothing but tulisans.
*****
You bet. That’s the name—tulisan! No need to call them by some fancy names!
I have heard of the NPA’s thriving in the Cordilleras kaya iyong homestead ng auntie namin, hindi na namin hinabol. Kasabwat pa iyong mga local government officials doon sa totoo lang.
Iyong nga mana ng mother ko sa Ilocos, hindi na naman pinag-interesan, but they are still in the name of my grandfather, at ang mga tenants ay mga kamag-anak din ng mother ko. Never heard of the NPAs there because it is a close-knit village. Halos lahat magkakakamag-anak. Bawal ang outsiders!
Worse is the story of a friend of mine. When she visited the Philippines to check on the property she inherited from her father, she found out that it was registered in another person’s name. Guess who? Iyon kasabwat ng nakaupo sa land registration doon sa lugar nila.
Fortunately, she is well-off and well-connected enough to get back her inheritance. May kapit kasi sa Malacanang! At saka may rangko ang asawa sa US Embassy!
Palakasan? You bet! Iyan pa rin ang rule of the game!
Dito, Anna, maraming magnanakaw kapag maraming intsik at pilipino! OK na iyong mga intsik kasi mismo sa China, maraming magnanakaw. Iyon ngang nakukulong, pinaparada pa once a year para makilala sila ng mga taumbayan, pero no effect to stop them from repeating their crimes.
Sa totoo lang, it is a disease. A kind of mental illness, I guess. Once a thief, always a thief na ang nangyayari.
Ang masama ay iyong alam na bawal ang pagnanakaw sa batas ng Diyos at tao, ginagawa pa rin. Worse ay iyong mayaman na nakaw pa rin like the squatters at the palace by the murky river!
But why are the NPAs winning? And the Abus? Ang mga tulisan? Nurtured by our own officials like Dante, etc. Mga assets din sila. Its like the king when he dies, ang harem ay inherited ng mga anak or mga susunud. So, ang mga NPAs, Abus, teroristas ay mamanahin din ng mga mananalo sa ating mga elections. At ang SOP, and procedures of landgrabbing, cheating, corruption ay na-improved. Kanyakanyang style lang. Ang sabi nga ng isang Highest boss ng DENR when I went to complai, “Valdemar, do you have a gun? Shoot them, its a shorter process.”
Ellen: you certainly make “life worth living” to many. For one, you opened our eyes to things we so take for granted.
“Naku, if it happens to me, baka mahimatay ako when I see that ghost-like phenomenon!”
anna, ‘yung kumpare ko naman tuwang tuwa pa ‘nung sungkitin ang mamahaling baro’t saya ng biyenan niya dahil kasama sa sinungkit ang matandang babae.
nawala ‘yung laging nagbubunganga sa kanya. pati na rin nanggagatong sa kanyang asawa kapag wala siyang pera!
stakei Says:
September 8th, 2007 at 4:45 am
Dito, Anna, maraming magnanakaw kapag maraming intsik at pilipino! OK na iyong mga intsik kasi mismo sa China, maraming magnanakaw. Iyon ngang nakukulong, pinaparada pa once a year para makilala sila ng mga taumbayan, pero no effect to stop them from repeating their crimes.
Why single out Filipinos and Chinese, kabayan? I’m sure there are also other nationalities who are thieves.