When it comes to land disputes, people seem to be capable of doing some very scary things.
“At around 4:30am on Sunday, July 20, there was an explosion at the house—specifically in the garage—of 64-year-old businesswoman Jovita Gabriel on Gov. Andres Gabriel Street in Gabriel Subdivision 2, Barangay Duhat, Malabon City,” reports Rey Galupo in The Philippine Star.
One of the family’s helpers claimed he saw two men riding a motorcycle near the house a few minutes before the explosion, which killed the family dog, as well as damaged the garage roof and two luxury vehicles.
Gabriel immediately called the Malabon Police Community Precinct 5 in the wake of the explosion. Members of the Malabon police’s explosives and ordnance division recovered parts of the grenade at the site of the explosion.
The report noted: “A letter addressed to Gabriel was found at the gate of her house a few hours after the incident. The letter—signed by Bulig Magtanggol, the reported leader of the leftist organization Hukbong Maralita ng Tagalungsod—warned her that she will be punished for allegedly ‘meddling in the process that will allow the urban poor to acquire their own lands.'”
According to teh report, “a source had earlier informed The Philippine Star that a parcel of land in Barangay Catmon owned by the family is occupied by informal settlers and is now under litigation.”
But Gabriel said they do not own land in Catmon “that has a problem with any leftist organization.”
In any case, she alleged that “the letter could have been the work of her brother-in-law, who she claimed has been threatening her and her family.”
Gabriel was quoted as saying, “He vowed to kill us all so that no one will benefit from the land. He said he will send a group of informal settlers to harass us.” She added that her brother-in-law had “asked for and received the title to a piece of land in Pasong Tamo, Quezon City, a year ago ‘but refused to return it when they were asking for it.'”
The investigation is ongoing.
