Members of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamakalaya) in Cavite have condemned the looming demolition of homes in a coastal community in Bacoor City that will be covered by a reclamation project. The local government on February 12 informed fishermen and residents of the plan to demolish their homes.

According to fishermen, the 420-hectare reclamation project will be covered by the company Frabelle Fishing Corp, owned by the family of Francisco Tiu-Laurel Jr, agriculture secretary of the US-Marcos regime.

Pamalakaya previously reported that thousands of residents have been evicted due to reclamation in two fishing communities and were forcibly relocated to Naic, Cavite despite the absence of livelihood. This caused the fishermen to just return to their old communities.

“The evicted residents will definitely come back and return to the beach because this is where our main source of livelihood is. Thus it is not reasonable to evict us from our community again and dump us to a distant place without jobs,” said Arni Villalon, a member of Pamalakaya-Bacoor City.

The group added, all reclamation in Manila Bay should be suspended, including the community project. “So there is no basis for the local government to evict us because the suspension of the reclamation should be concurrent with stopping any kind of eviction of the residents,” Villalon said.

The Revilla dynasty that controls Bacoor City and Tiu-Laurel Jr. will be held responsible if such demolition continues. The farmers and residents affected by this are ready to defend their right to residence.

“Fishermen and the poor along the coast of Cavite are determined to defend their livelihood and community against destructive reclamation and its accompanying demolition. We will continue to demand our right to live on the coast and fish in Manila Bay because this is our livelihood,” concluded Villalon.