Nueva Ecija farmers fight to keep land amid dispute with congressman’s group

The Bayanihang Magsasaka ng Sangilo Association Incorporated (BMSAI) has farmed about 1,000 hectares across Sitio Cunakon, Sitio Bayukbok, Sitio Sangilo, and Sitio Minalungao in Barangay Pias, General Tinio, and the neighboring Barangay Macabaklay in Gapan City. The land has been a cornerstone of their lives for over 50 years.

For years, the farmers have grown vegetables and fruits, selling their harvests in local markets. But the peace they’ve known for decades is now threatened by the escalating land dispute.

Since March 2024, BMSAI had sent letters to local officials, including Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio Umali, and national agencies such as the Department of Agrarian Reform, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Office of the President, seeking intervention.

The dispute began in January 2024 when a group led by former village chief Flaviano Gregorio and former Gapan City assessor Engineer Agosto Ancheta allegedly entered the land with concrete posts, flags, and marking equipment. The farmers, alarmed by the alleged encroachment, feared their long-held claim to the land was being undermined.

BMSAI spokesperson Jean Mabalay said the situation worsened when several banyan trees were allegedly uprooted on August 17 and 20 by a group they identified with Nueva Ecija 4th District Representative Emerson Pascual, a former mayor of Gapan.

She said they talked with the alleged intruders on January 31, 2024, and they were told that the group was only following the orders of Pascual.

Rappler tried to contact Pascual by phone and text and reached out to mayors Joy Pascual of Gapan City and Isidro Pajarillaga of General Tinio through their social media accounts and  websites, but received no response. The story will be updated once they issue statements.

The farmers’ group filed a forcible entry case on October 29 against Pascual, Gregorio, and two others at the Municipal Trial Court in General Tinio, but it was dismissed twice due to jurisdiction issues before being moved to a court in Gapan City, she said.

Mabalay said they also filed malicious mischief and usurpation of real rights in property cases.

After the initial case was dismissed, their motion for reconsideration was granted, and a request for inhibition with the prosecutor’s office is still pending, she added.

Mabalay said BMSAI members faced threats, intimidation, and harassment, including robberies and armed men on their farmland. Some farmers continue cultivating, while others have abandoned their farms out of fear.

She also said lawyers have refused to notarize their cases, forcing them to seek help from church leaders.

In December 2024, after learning that land surveying continued and nearly 10 hectares were being targeted, BMSAI sought help from church leaders.

Emmanuel Emperador, general secretary of the Clergy and Lay Ecumenical Assembly of Nueva Ecija (CLEANE), said he was concerned about the situation and pledged to continue supporting the farmers. He said they scheduled a conference on January 24 with local officials, but none attended.

Emperador said the farmers want an end to the intimidation and the restoration of their rights.

“They have been tillers of the land for a long time. They want to go through the legal process. However, they are either being rejected or they are not catered to. They are being told [by people in government] that their land is not under their jurisdiction,” Emperador told Rappler.

Emperador said those who till the land are its rightful owners and stressed that it is agricultural.

He said the issue is not with the farmers but with the state’s duty to protect them.

“The state should ensure that farmers are equipped with the knowledge they need to secure their land. The land they work and protect should belong to them,” Emperador said. – Rappler.com

*Statements in Filipino were translated into English for brevity.