Fear gripped Maria Hangin yesterday morning when “armed” blue guards suddenly landed on the shores of the island while residents were still asleep. The island is currently at the center of a dispute between the residents and a major corporation claiming ownership.
The situation remains tense, as there are still about 96 security guards at Sitio Maria Hangin, Barangay Bugsuk, Balabac, in southern Palawan. This continued presence persists despite the residents’ pleas and demands to prevent their entry and occupation of the land allegedly owned by San Miguel Corporation.
Adding to their alarm and sense of violation, the residents of Maria Hangin reiterated that, based on their agreement last year, only five guards were allowed to remain on the island to watch over the land. This discrepancy is precisely why, they said, they were so alarmed by the sudden arrival of the blue guards yesterday.
Marilyn Pelayo told Palawan News that they only want the court to issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) so that their initial agreement would be followed, and no one else would enter the area while the issue is still under study and hearing. However, she said they were already disturbed yesterday at dawn.
“May guwardiya naman talaga silang naiwan dito na lima. ‘Yun kasi ang napag-usapan na kung may magdu-duty man, lima lang po. Hindi ko alam kung bakit sila sumira sa usapan at dito na mismo sila pumasok na wala pong proper coordination sa amin,” said Pelayo.
(They really did leave five guards here. That was the agreement, that if anyone is on duty, it should only be five. I don’t know why they broke the agreement and entered here without proper coordination with us.)
She also clarified that they did not detain the arriving guards but merely put up barriers to prevent them from entering the disputed territory.
Pelayo made the clarification because, according to her, the blue guards were simultaneously taking videos and falsely asserting they were being held against their will.
“Hindi namin sila kinulong, nilagyan lang namin ng boundary na kahoy ‘yung area dahil pinoprotektahan lang namin kasi nagvi-video sila na ikinukulong daw namin sila. Iko-correct ko lang po, hindi po namin sila kinukulong. Naglagay lang po kami ng boundary bilang proteksyon lang po sa area,” she added.
(We did not detain them, we just put up a wooden boundary around the area because we were just protecting it since they were filming videos claiming we were detaining them. I just want to correct that—we are not detaining them. We only set up a boundary for the area’s protection.)
Another Maria Hangin resident, Jilmani Naseron said they barely got any sleep that night because of worry, especially since they heard reports that the number of blue guards in their area might increase further.
This morning, April 5, the residents said they are expecting around a hundred more blue guards to arrive in Maria Hangin.
“Andito pa rin sila at ang problema, mukhang magdadagdag pa yata sila. Andun nga sila sa baybay, pero andun din ang community namin. Isa pa po, hindi na kami nakakapagpahinga, tapos kagabi hindi kami makatulog kasi ang speedboat nila ay paikot-ikot lang dito,” Naseron narrated in a call.
(They are still here, and the problem is it seems like they are planning to send more. They are at the shore, but that is where our community is. Also, we can’t rest anymore, and last night we couldn’t sleep because their speedboat kept circling around here.)
Naseron said their dialogue yesterday went ahead, but it yielded no clear results because the company’s representative and their lawyer were ignored. SMC’s lawyer allegedly showed a land title, but the residents did not recognize it because they have been living on Maria Hangin for decades, their ancestral home. They asserted that they didn’t sell their ancestral land and they did not sign any deed of sale.
He also expressed gratitude that the police watched over the area overnight, but said it was still not enough to ease their fears.
Information from the Palawan Police Provincial Office (PalPPO) claimed the blue guards who arrived at the island at dawn yesterday aboard speedboats were from JMV Security Services.
Their goal is reportedly to stay on the island to guard the land bought by a “private company,” a move that is strongly opposed by residents and has caused tension in the area.
Because of this, the Balabac Municipal Police Station (MPS) immediately intervened and deployed the 1st Police Mobile Force Company (PMFC) to the area to ease tensions between the two sides. However, following the dialogue, the residents still refused to let the blue guards enter the site where they were supposed to be stationed for their mission.
It is worth recalling that residents of Maria Hangin have been concerned over the entry of San Miguel Corporation, which is said to be planning to build an ecotourism resort on the island.
Many have reportedly left the area, allegedly forced to sell their lands out of fear, but some have remained to stand their ground and defend their rights to the island, preventing the guards sent whom they perceive as a threat to their safety in Maria Hangin.
Residents are hoping for the issuance of the TRO and that this time the government will fully help them, saying the fear and anxiety they are experiencing is no longer bearable.
“Nagpapasalamat kami na tutulungan kami pero dapat sana ang gobyerno natin kasama ang DILG, Human Rights ay umaksyon na, at huwag na kaming pababayaan ng ganito. Wag na tayong maghintay na darating ang panahon na magkamatayan ang mga tao dito,” Naseron stated.
(We are thankful that we are going to get help, but we hope that our government, along with the DILG and Human Rights, will take action and not abandon us like this. Let’s not wait for the time when people end up dying here.)
