Boracay land dispute leaves 1 dead
Disputes over prized lots on Boracay Island erupted into violence anew on Saturday resulting to the death of a property caretaker.
Rexes Mariano, 40, died from a bullet wound in the thigh after security guards stormed a disputed property in Barangay Balabag, on the northern end of the 1,000-hectare island-resort, according to a report of the Boracay Special Tourist Protection Office (BSTPO).
Senior Insp. Auxilio Dador, BSTPO chief, said the guards belonging to the 3rd Alert Security Agency destroyed the perimeter fence of the property in Sitio Pinaungon around 6:30 a.m. before shooting Mariano.
The guards, armed with .38 caliber revolvers and shotguns, were hired by Anna Marie Tirol, who is disputing the ownership of the property against Mariano Sacapaño, according to Dador.
Police detained 11 security guards believed to be involved in the incident. They face charges of murder, illegal possession of firearms, trespassing and malicious mischief resulting to damage to property.
"They did not coordinate with the police and there is no court order to enforce any occupation," Dador said in a telephone interview yesterday. He said that the municipal assessor's office has yet to determine the exact ownership of the property.
"Even if the property really belongs to the Tirols, it should be a court sheriff and the police who will implement any court ruling and not security guards," said Dador. Police has secured the property to prevent any further violence involving the disputing parties.
The shooting is the third this year involving land disputes on the world-famous resort. On January 14 this year, retired Army sergeant Vicente Naming was shot dead also by security guards hired by a company claiming ownership of a land he believed belonged to his ancestors. A 15-year old boy was also wounded in the crossfire after the guards stormed the property.
Naming died of 14 gunshot wounds after he shot it out with security guards of a lot in Sitio Cabana in Barangay Macon Macon, one of the three villages of the island.
Also in January, a shootout also erupted between guards hired by the Topaz and Tagus families in Barangay Balabag. The families were disputing ownership over a two-hectare property and each hired around 20 security guards who were involved in the clash.
Driven by increasing prices of lots, developers, investors and families are scrambling for ownership and claims even for the smallest lots. The prices of lot range from P30,000 per square meter for inland properties to P50,000 per square per meter for those along the famous white beach.
Ownership or rights over properties are muddled and easily a source of conflict because claimants only have tax declarations as proofs of ownership.
Private ownership of lots on the island is technically illegal under Proclamation 1801 issued by the late President Ferdinand Marcos on Nov. 10, 1978, which declared Boracay and other islands and coves as tourist and marine zones and were categorized as public lands.
But a significant portion of the island is titled. Most of the business owners and residents have been occupying other lots for around 30 years through tax declarations.