"Iimbestigahan ng Kongreso sina Padilla"

SA PAGBUKAS NG THIRTEENTH 13TH CONGRESS, ISANG RESOLUTION ANG ISINULONG NI CONGRESSMAN RODOLFO VALENCIA SA KONGRESO, ANG HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 727 NA NAGTATAWAG NG IMBESTIGASYON SA PAGLIPANA NG MGA SINDIKATO SA PAGTITITULO NG LUPA AT LAND GRABBING SA BUONG BANSA BUNSOD NG DIUMANO’Y FOREST LAND GRABBING NA INIREKLAMO NG MGA NAGTATANIM SA KABUNDUKAN NG SOLANA, CAGAYAN.

Binigyan ang "CALVENTO FILES" ng kopya ng diumanong resolution ni Cong. Valencia ng First District ng Oriental Mindoro at nilagdaan ito ng 37 mambabatas mula sa Mababang Kapulungan. Narito ang resolution para mabasa natin lahat.

A RESOLUTION

CALLING FOR THE INVESTIGATION, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE PROLIFERATION OF TITLING SYNDICATES AND LAND GRABBING THROUGHOUT THE PHILIPPINES TAKING THE CASE IN POINT THE ALLEDGE FOREST GRABBING ISSUE IN SOLANA, PROVINCE OF CAGAYAN.

WHEREAS, forestry reserves are part and parcel of public domain, our patrimony as a people and are beyond the commerce of man and as such, they cannot be alienated and titled to individuals;

WHEREAS, a magnitude of fake titling syndicates and land or forest grabbers have victimized thousands of families and individual alike;

WHEREAS, there is an undetermined number of big-time titling syndicates operating in various forms of illegal activities concerning questionable titling, squatting and land grabbing;

WHEREAS, as a case in point, among many others, there exists 375 hectares of forest land within the area covered by the Maguirig, Solana Reforestation Project in Barangay Maguirig, Municipality of Solana, Province of Cagayan. The project was previously initiated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

WHEREAS, the said area is presently occupied by more or less 400 indigent families previously enrolled and recruited by DENR’s Regional Office in the area as workers and planters in the said Maguirig, Solano Reforestation Project;

WHEREAS, these group of indigent families are allegedly being driven away from their farming area, which have been the sole source of their livelihood for 30 years by a certain Nerina Padilla and Victor Padilla who are claiming ownership to the said 375 hectare forest land on the basis of Certificates of Titles supposedly awarded earlier by the government.

WHEREAS, the aforementioned indigent farmer-families, who are supposed to be the real beneficiaries of the government forestry programs, has been continuously airing their grievances to DENR, the Office of the President, and to the appropriate judicial bodies;

WHEREAS, as early as November, 1999, the Regional Office of the DENR, in disputing the ownership claim of the Padilla’s over the forest land in question, has said , titles are "null and void from the beginning, because under the law, such parcels of land cannot be the subject of disposition by the government in favor of private claimants;"

WHEREAS, such claim of ownership over a forest land threatens the livelihood and welfare of the aforementioned indigent families of Maguirig, Solana, the security of the environment in the said area as well as the stability of the country’s land titling system;

WHEREAS, unless appropriate agencies of the government resolve the issue and address with finality the grievances of the present indigent farmer occupants of the subject area, the latter stands to lose their only source for economic subsistence;

WHEREAS, unless government in general adopts a clear-out policy on the matter of questionable titling, land grabbing and squatting, our families in the end be the victims of national fraud and economic sabotage;

THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives assembled:

1. THAT THIS AUGUST BODY DIRECT THE COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES JOINTLY WITH OTHER APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES TO CONDUCT AN INVESTIGATION, IN AID OF LEGISLATION, ON THE PROLIFERATION OF FAKE TITLING SYNDICATES AND LAND GRABBING;

2. THAT THE CASE OF THE ALLEGED SOLANO FOREST GRABBING IN CAGAYAN BE RESOLVED WITH FINALITY BY THE DENR OR IF SO WARRANTED BY AN APPROPRIATE JUDICIAL BODY.

3. THAT, AFTER A THOROUGH STUDY, A LEGISLATIVE MEASURE BE ADOPTED TO PUT TO REST THIS MATTER.

Mga kaibigan, ito’y isang napakagandang development para sa mga farmers mula sa Cagayan. Iimbestigahan ng Kongreso sina Padilla.

NAGKAROON DIN AKO ng pagkakataong makausap si Cong. Valencia at sinabi nito na maraming mga kasama niya sa Kongreso ang pumirma at sumusuporta sa House Resolution na inihain niya hindi lamang para sa kapakanan ng mga farmers ng Brgy. Magurig, Solana, Cagayan, kundi para sa mga iba pang sumasaka sa mga lupa kung saan meron ng ipinatutupad ng Reforestation Program ang ating gobierno.

Tinatawagan ko rin ng pansin si Sec. Mike Defensor ng DENR na umaksyon ka naman para sa kapakanan, ayon na rin kay Cong. Valencia ng mahigit kumulang na four hundred (400) families ang apektado at tinatayang 375 hectares na lupa sa nasabing lugar.

Sec. Mike, kung sana hindi ka tutulug-tulog para naaksyunan mo ang sigalot sa Maguirig, Solana. Mula ng umupo ka bilang DENR Secretary, yung away n’yo lang ni Sen. Jamby Madrigal ang nabalitaan namin. Ang sipag pa naman ng staff ni Sec. Defensor na magpadala ng mga email tungkol sa iba’t ibang bagay subalit ng inilabas natin ang problema ng ating mga kababayan sa Kabundukan ng Cagayan, tila naging tahimik yata ang tanggapan ni Sec. Mike.

"HUWAG KAYONG MAINGAY NATUTULOG PA SI MIKE…" Baka magising ito.

"I will send the Office of Secretary Mike Defensor a copy of my House Resolution and hopefully, kikilos ang tanggapan nito," pahayag ng Cong. ng First District ng Mindoro Oriental.

Kapansin-pansin din ang pananahimik ng tanggapan ni Sen. Juan Ponce-Enrile na kababayan pa nitong mga farmers na mula sa Cagayan. Yung staff mo rin Sen. Enrile, ang sisipag magpadala ng sari-saring email di man lang sagutin ang mga panawagan nitong mga farmers. Bakit kaya? Ano sa palagay n’yo?

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