Few days ago, live images beamed by national television showed an unthinkable scenery in a place called Silverio Compound in Parañaque City, Metro Manila. Police forces in a battle formation honed by constant practice were aligned against the very persons they supposed to protect - civilians. The houses of the latter were subject of an apparent demolition order and ironically, the policemen came not to prevent it. In fact, they were massed at the location to protect the persons assigned to do the demolition. If social psychologists and political scientists had, for years on end, been warning us of a social volcano, the scene we saw on television was its eruption and it was of the malevolent kind. Unfortunately, those involved in that war were not supposed to be on opposing sides!
There were two other specific places in Metro Manila under similar situation. While scores of residents stormed Quezon City hall demanding to see their mayor to plead with him to stop the demolition of their homes built on government property targeted for development, other homeowners in still another Parañaque City area were poised to do their own war. As shown on television, they built up an unlikely armory to include human waste, Molotov bombs, rocks, etc. behind unlikely defense lines made of rusty galvanized iron sheets, barbed wires, bamboo poles, discarded boards, among other indescribable materials.
The scene in Barangay Apas, here in Cebu City was not entirely different. A court order for the tearing down of structures built by non-lot owners was supposed to be implemented by court sheriff. Our fellow Cebuanos vowed to stay put and defend their homes no matter what the cost would be, although it looked like that they were less warlike than their Manila counterparts.
It is time to ponder on the parameters on which these events are based.
The first of such parameters is for the legitimate property owners. More often than not, they are heirs of upper middle class families of yore. They are inheritors of parcels of land which were left unutilized by their ancestors. Over a long period of time, settlers came building one makeshift home after another. Initially, the landowners, tolerated them because they had no immediate use of the lots yet and when they confronted the unauthorized occupants, the latter promised to vacate upon the say so of the owners.
The second parameter is for the settlers. It is their luck to find a vacant land in the city where to put up a temporary shelter. In most cases, they have chosen these places where to build their homes because these are near where they exercise their own calling. Good fortune continues to smile upon them when, as soon as the landowners show up, they are still allowed stay even without paying rent.
The third parameter is for the government. Records at the city hall show where informal settlers are located. Our authorities know who they are because in most cases, their groups are the sources of huge block of command votes. In much the same way, they have some ideas who the lot owners are.
From these parameters, let the legitimate property owners realize that the earlier they assert their dominion over their lots, they run a lesser risk of a later violent confrontation. It will be to their peace of mind to put in a legal document whatever tolerance they exercise for settlers to stay.
On the part of the settlers, they should understand that if they are allowed to stay on some other’s property, out of the abundance the owner’s heart, such tolerance does not riper to ownership. Dominion remains with the owner and rather than insist on adverse claim, it is best to return such graciousness with gratitude.
Finally, let the government anticipate conflicts. Instead of waiting for the war dirge to be played between settlers and owners, our authorities should find sites where the landless among our brothers may be transplanted from places they do not own and permanently relocated to lots they can have titles on.