By Shayne Elizabeth T. Flores

Despite the farmers’ efforts to guard the community, Lupang Ramos continues to be militarized and placed under state surveillance as Task Force Ugnay personnel reportedly reside in a private establishment near the 59-year farmland in Dasmariñas, Cavite.

“Nakakabahala na kapitbahay ngayon ng komunidad ang armadong puwersa ng Task Force Ugnay. Armadong grupong naghihintay ng utos ng mga may awtoridad para sumalakay (It is concerning that the armed forces of Task Force Ugnay are now neighbors of the community. An armed group waiting for the authority’s order to attack),” Katipunan ng mga Lehitimong Magsasaka at Mamamayan sa Lupang Ramos’ (KASAMA-LR) statement read.

Last June 10, the Dasmariñas Local Government Unit (LGU) issued Peace and Order Council Resolution No. 01, Series of 2024, identifying Lupang Ramos as a "consolidation area for radicalization” allegedly for the Communist Party of the Philippines and its armed wing, the New People's Army (NPA).

In an interview with FEU Advocate, KASAMA-LR Secretary-General and Gabriela Women’s Partylist fifth nominee Miriam Villanueva asserted the legitimacy of their residence in Dasmariñas against the state’s red-tagging.

“Kami daw ay mga NPA pero kami ay legitimate [na] taga-Dasmariñas. Doon kami lumaki, doon kami nagkamalay, doon namin nabuo ang aming pagkatao, at doon kami talaga nanirahan ng buong panahon (They said we are NPA but we are legitimately from Dasmariñas. It is where we grew up, matured, and lived our whole lives),” she shared.

According to Villanueva, the resolution as a counter-insurgency measure aims to push Lupang Ramos to disaffiliate from progressive organizations such as Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and KASAMA, and to not acknowledge the Makabayan bloc in Congress.

The community was only made aware of the resolution last September, preceded by a series of infiltration attempts by state forces.

Suspicious entry attempts

On September 9, a truck entered Lupang Ramos carrying tents and chairs to set up checkpoints in the community, enforcing the midterm election gun ban, according to the truck personnel.

“Hindi pa nga nakakapag-file ng candidacy ang mga kandidato, by October pa ang filing nu’n, eh. bakit meron na agad? ‘Di ba after filing pa ‘yan… Mga January o February pa ‘yang mga checkpoint na ‘yan (Candidates have yet to file their candidacy in October so why is there already a ban? Shouldn’t the checkpoints be set up after filing, around January or February)?” the secretary-general questioned.

The Commission on Elections has stated that a gun ban may only be implemented during the campaign period only set to begin next year, January 12.

The community then decided to verify if the local barangay was aware of the scheme, which the barangay denied, leading the truck to leave.

“Tumawag kami sa barangay, wala raw silang alam. So ngayon, umalis na [‘yung truck] (We called the barangay, they said they do not know about it. So the truck left),” Villanueva said.

The following day, a van of cameramen arrived, claiming to be media waiting for the Dasmariñas City Mayor’s son Kiko Barzaga.

They were followed by the local barangay, who informed the community about an upcoming inspection. 

After a while, uniformed civilians said to be from the Dasmariñas City veterinarian requested admission to Lupang Ramos to inspect the community’s slaughterhouse and piggery located at the other end of the land in light of the spreading African Swine Fever.

“Dahil civilian authorities sila, nakasibilyan na talaga namang may sinasabi na mag-i-inspection, sinamahan namin siya ng aming presidente… ‘Yung pangulo ng samahan at ako ang sumalubong (Because they are civilian authorities claiming their purpose of inspection, the president and I accompanied them. We were the ones who welcomed them),” Villanueva said.

Militarization and surveillance

Upon the party’s entry to the community, people were alarmed by the sudden arrival of at least 50 military personnel, police, and paramilitary from the 2nd Infantry Division of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine National Police (PNP) Cavite, Task Force Ugnay, Special Weapons And Tactics, and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Cavite.

“Naglakad kami papasok, sabi namin sa mga pastor sasamahan lang namin ‘yung mga city employees para sa inspeksyon. Kaya lang siguro mga nakakasampung hakbang kami, paglingon ko kasi tumawag ‘yung mga tao sa’min na ang daming army, ang daming PNP. Paglingon namin, ang dami… Mga armadong army ‘tsaka pulis (We walked inside and informed the pastor that we will be accompanying the city employees for their inspection. However, about ten steps in, when I turned my head to people calling our attention, we saw a lot of armed military and police personnel),” Villanueva stated.

State forces eventually entered the community and were seen sketching and photographing the houses in Lupang Ramos.

The citizens sought to question the military’s objective but received no explanation until they noticed them tailing the city veterinary personnel as they walked around the 372-hectare land to its boundary, which Villanueva alleged was a mapping initiative.

“Ang layo na kasi, four kilometers ‘yon, 372 ektarya ginala nila lahat na sa tingin namin nag-mapping sila ng lugar… ‘Yung slaughterhouse kasi nasa kabilang dulo… So, may malapit na daan ‘yon para hindi sila maglakad pero naglakad sila nang naglakad (It is so far already because that’s four kilometers. They surveyed the whole 372 hectares which we think they did to map the area. The slaughterhouse is on the other end with a nearer path so they don’t have to walk, but they kept walking),” she claimed.

After surveying the area, the state forces then notified them of their plan to station a checkpoint in the community, to which the citizens objected by establishing a barricade.

“After 30 minutes, umalis na ‘yung mga nakipag-usap sa’min na mga sundalo… Ipu-put up na ‘yung checkpoint, nagbarikada na kami… Hanggang kinabukasan… Hanggang sumunod huling araw, hindi ko na matandaan anong petsa, bumalik sila at naggigiit ulit pumasok (After 30 minutes, the soldiers who talked to us went away. They are now going to put up the checkpoint so we set up a barricade until the next day. Until the last day, I don’t remember the date, they came back and asserted to enter again),” the secretary-general said.

To evict farmers

Approximately 100 personnel from the AFP, PNP, BFP, and Dasmariñas LGU attempted to enter Lupang Ramos on September 26, citing fire hazard mapping and droning operations.

Amid negotiations, KASAMA-LR President Bayani Tapawan inquired who ordered the personnel to enter the community as well as for any document related to the order.

Eventually, representatives from the Dasmariñas LGU revealed supposed city resolutions, alleging that Lupang Ramos was being investigated for harboring insurgent groups.

Villanueva claimed that the counter-insurgency program is a scheme to evict farmers from Lupang Ramos, citing the city’s plan to use the land for multiple purposes.

“Ang resolution nilang kontra insurgency, ang ugat nito ay kinailangan ng eviction talaga ng mga magsasaka dahil idineklara nila ‘yung Lupang Ramos na mixed-use ang gamit sa land use plan ng Dasmariñas, na ito ay pwedeng gamitin as institutional establishment, residential, at commercial… So para ‘yun ay magawa nila, kailangan nilang mapaalis ang mga tao,” she explained.

The secretary-general also noted how such a ploy is not new given the Philippine’s history of land-grabbing, where armed security forces are utilized to intimidate farmers.

Furthermore, Villanueva stressed how the militarization in Lupang Ramos is reflective of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr.’s lack of initiative for genuine land reform.

“Wala talaga siyang plano na paunlarin agrikultura natin… Ang politika ay nakaangkla sa pagpapaunlad ng ekonomiya na nakabatay sa kung anong pinaglilingkuran nito, ‘yung mga dayuhan, ‘yung neoliberal na polisiya. Kaya nga mananatili tayong importer ng bigas, hindi na mangyayaring mag-e-export tayo,” she said.

Once owned by real-estate broker Emerito Ramos, Sr., Lupang Ramos has been subjected to multiple land disputes between landowner claimants and farmers who have tilled the land for generations.

Apart from Lupang Ramos, various cases of heightened militarization and police presence in peasant communities across Southern Tagalog have also been reported, including military vehicle sightings near Lupang Tartaria in Silang, Cavite.

(Layout by Mark Vincent A. Durano; Photo by Melvin James Urubio/FEU Advocate; Photos courtesy of KASAMA-LR and NNARA Youth)