PAN Asia Pacific (PANAP) expresses solidarity with the Patungan fisherfolk community in the Philippines facing land and resource grabbing and human rights violations to give way to an eco-tourism project. We join calls to stop the violent demolition and repression of the Patungan fisherfolk, which further worsens the conditions of the country’s most vulnerable sectors under the pandemic.
Last January 12, 300 armed personnel from the Philippine National Police (PNP) and a private security agency forcibly entered the village of Patungan in Maragondon town Cavite province to demolish the homes and structures of over 600 families in the coastal community. Patungan, more than 71 kilometres south of the capital Manila, is the site of a longstanding land dispute between the local fisherfolk and private firms MTV Realty Corp. and Manila Southcoast Development Corp. (MSDC) that belong to two of the most prominent elite families in the Philippines.
Even before the COVID-19 crisis wreaked havoc on the livelihood of millions, fishers have already been living in dire straits. With an official poverty incidence of 36.9%, Patungan villagers and other Filipino fishers rank behind farmers as the country’s poorest sector.
In a series of violent attacks against Patungan villagers, the latest incident resulted in gunfire wounds for three community members and injuries to four more due to physical assault. Six members of the besieged coastal village have been arrested and charged with direct assault and physical injury. The community and its support groups through the Save Patungan Now Movement are raising Php18,000 (around US$350) in bail money for each of the arrested individuals.
Patungan, a community renowned for its scenic mountain views and beaches, has been targeted for eco-tourism projects by local business interests as early as 2014. The five-hectare community had been acquired by MSDC allegedly through a series of loopholes in Philippine agrarian reform laws, prompting attempted demolitions in the area. The fishing village has been occupying and nourishing the disputed lands and surrounding resources since the early 1900s.
In 2016, the first court-signed demolition permit allowed private security forces to block transportation and supplies to coerce community members into leaving. Villagers were also branded as “terrorists” to sow fear and justify the presence of military forces.
The repeated attacks against Patungan villagers are a blatant disregard for their fundamental human rights, which subject thousands of families to homelessness, unemployment, and greater vulnerability. The actions of concerned government institutions and the private corporations involved show how commercial profits are prioritised over the life and livelihoods of small food producers.
We support demands for the prompt intervention of government units in stopping further violent attacks against Patungan community members. We also join calls for the immediate release of those wrongfully arrested and accountability from those behind the violent incident. We unite with the Patungan fisherfolk in defending their community against land and resource grabbing and in asserting their right to food and livelihood.
(For updates and more information about the Patungan land grabbing case and how you can support the local community, please visit the Facebook page of the Save Patungan Now Movement)
Reference: Ms Sarojeni Rengam, Executive Director (nolandnolife@panap.net)
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