The Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) said it will file a formal complaint against illegal settlers in Barangay Montible property before the end of October.
ICF senior superintendent Geraldo Aro said they will do this as soon as they have completed some documents that filing cases will require.
Aro did not state how many families or people they will sue in court for illegally occupying BuCor lands.
“I’m expecting next week ay [masampahan na], may konti na lang lacking documents pero nag-report sa akin na pini-prepare na ng aking supervisor sa Montible [yong dokumento]. Kung sino yong nag-i-illegal occupy ng ating area, i-include natin sa case,” he said.
On October 13, ICF and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) through PENRO and CENRO demolished 10 newly-built and abandoned houses in the Montible area.
Aro said earlier that these structures were unoccupied, with some reportedly being used as resting spots of unauthorized settlers who also engage in illegal logging.
According to the PENRO enforcement unit, the land is also being claimed by a certain Melino Bacquiao, who is a Tagbanua indigenous peoples (IP) leader residing in a land that has an alleged existing application for Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT) at the National Commission of Indigenous Peoples (NCIP).
Aro said that Bacquiao and other illegal settlers will be included in the case that they will file for trespassing in the BuCor-owned land area.
“Obviously, wala silang mga dokumento niyan, timberland ýon. Bukod sa illegal settlers sila ron, mayroon pa sila nilalabag under the timberland act,” he said.
