Police arrested four residents of Catmon, Malabon City on charges of perjury and grave coercion, while one more linked to the case surrendered on the afternoon of September 16. Those detained are members of Sandigan Nagkakaisang Mamamayan sa Upper Catmon (SNMUC), which opposes the planned demolition and land grabbing in the barangay.
Among those arrested was SNMUC leader Remedios “Ate Mimi” Francisco. The court set bail at ₱18,000 each for the eight charged with perjury and ₱36,000 each for the six charged with grave coercion.
The group that immediately investigated the victims’ situation discovered many irregularities during the arrest. These included deceit, where the residents were told they would only be spoken to in the barangay, and their sudden arrest by plainclothes police.
According to SNMUC, the cases filed against its leader and members clearly aim to harass and weaken their resistance to the planned eviction of the Cornelio Martinez Francisco (CMF) residents in Barangay Catmon. Joselito Lopez of All Asia Structures, Inc. has been claiming the area since 2017.
Francisco and other Catmon residents have been threatened and harassed since April 2024, according to Karapatan-National Capital Region. The military reportedly forced them to “surrender” and enlist in the government’s program as “rebel returnees.”
Kabataan Partylist (KPL)-Malabon expressed support for the residents’ struggle and called for the release of those detained. “No urban poor fighting for their home should be criminalized, charged with fabricated complaints, arrested, jailed, and harassed,” the group declared.
It added that no urban poor should be evicted without just cause and decent relocation from the government. “Defending one’s own home is a right—not a crime. The law should not be weaponized against the poor,” KPL-Malabon stated.
The group called on the Malabon city government, led by Mayor Jeannie Sandoval, Congressman Lenlen Oreta, and the Malabon City Council, to conduct an immediate investigation into the incident and show genuine concern for the people. “How can the poor participate in Malabon’s progress if they are being suppressed and stripped of their rights?” it said.
The group declared its continued support for Barangay Catmon residents in defending their right to housing. “Together let us assert: Oppose, fight, and never allow demolition!” KPL-Malabon declared.
