Despite strong opposition from residents, Central Mindanao University (CMU), together with hundreds of police officers, carried out a violent demolition of the homes of farmers living in Barangay Dologon Maramag, Bukidnon on June 16. The residents belong to the Buffalo-Tamaraw-Limus (BTL) Multipurpose Cooperative and the Musuan Inhabitants’ Landless Farmers Association (MILFA).
BTL spokesperson Herman Santillan called the demolition “illegal” as it was carried out amid a pending court case. The community received a “notice to vacate” in August 2024 and has appealed to the court for its reversal. Santillan said the Court of Appeals has yet to respond to their petition, so they should not be evicted from the area.
During the demolition, police arrested five residents after they pleaded to harvest their rice crops. Among those arrested was Santillan’s son.
The demolition team destroyed hundreds of houses, leaving 1,566 residents homeless. Their rice fields were mercilessly plowed, despite the farmers’ pleas as the crops were nearly ready for harvest.
In 1989, BTL farmers were awarded the land after years of struggle with the Department of Agrarian Reform to include their rice fields in the government’s CARP. That year, the DAR ordered the distribution of 517 hectares of productive land to BTL members.
But in 1992, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of CMU and canceled the farmers’ land ownership awards. Since then, ownership has remained an ongoing legal battle as the CMU and the Bukidnon local government left many issues unresolved, including relocation.
On June 14, police suddenly arrived in their area, claiming they were there to provide “security” to a visiting Department of Agriculture undersecretary. Their presence rightfully alarmed the residents, as it turned out to be an initial measure to intimidate residents right before the eve of the demolition.
