Soldiers’ camp urged to vacate

IMELDA, Zamboanga Sibugay — An Agrarian Reform beneficiary urged the 1st Infantry “Tabak” Division of the Philippine Army, based in Barangay Upper Pulacan, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur, to peacefully vacate the private land they are illegally occupying in this town and allow them to improve and develop the lot.

Leah Harayo, 68, yesterday urged the 106th Infantry Battalion (IB) to vacate the 13.2-hectare lot they are presently occupying in Barangay Lower Baluran in this town and allow her family to introduce improvement and development.

Harayo, a resident of Barangay Poblacion in this town, was awarded by the Department of Agrarian Reform a Certificate of Land Ownership Award under the Agrarian Reform Program, evidencing the ownership of the awarded land.

According to Harayo, she entered into a memorandum of agreement with the 44th IB for one year, beginning 1 March 2017 to 28 February 2018.

Harayo said that after the 44th IB vacated their lot in 2023, the 106th IB adopted the place and inherited some improvements in the area, like barracks for their soldiers, an administrative building, a motor pool for their vehicles and many more.

She said the 106th IB did not seek any permission from them to encamp in their lot, an act she believed was “highly illegal and irresponsible.”

An official of the 106th IB claimed that the municipal government, through the Sangguniang Bayan, has permitted them to encamp at the lot owned by Harayo.

Imelda Mayor Jerry D. Silva declined to explain why the municipal government has granted permission to the 106th IB to stay in the lot owned by Harayo.

Some local residents in this town also claimed that the local government of Imelda is interfering in the management of their private lot by allowing people to stay and cultivate on their lot.

They appeal to the Zamboanga Sibugay provincial government to intervene and reprimand Mayor Silva for interfering in their private lot.