Socorro members urged to return home

The local government of Socorro has called on some 4,000 members of Socorro Bayanihan Services Inc. (SBSI) to leave the mountains of Sitio Kapihan and resettle into their homes.

According to a "24 Oras" report by Marisol Abdurahman on Tuesday, more than 1,200 homes in Socorro, Surigao del Norte have been left abandoned by members of the SBSI when they settled into Sitio Kapihan in 2019.

The houses have now become ruined and uninhabitable, including the home of known SBSI leader, Senior Aguila.

Barangay Sudlon was said to have turned into a ghost town due to the number of SBSI members who left their community.

“Meron naman naiwan dito sa Barangay Sudlon. Magdivide sa tatlo, ang dalawa dito [nasa Sitio] Kapihan,” said Brgy. Sudlon chairman Ernesto Barunday.

According to Socorro Mayor Riza Timcang, Sitio Kapihan was a 353-hectare land that was passed over to SBSI in 2004 under the Protected Area Community-Based Resource Management Agreement for agricultural farming.

“[Sila yung may authority] for 25 years para mag rehab ng forest kasi timberland yun, pwedeng gamitin pang agricultural… Ginamit na nila, doon na sila nanirahan. Sa agreement, hindi pwede na doon mag settle yung mga tao. Isa yun sa violation,” Timcang said.

She also stated that the community has been told of their violation of the agreement of 2019, but has refused to leave the area.

Meanwhile, SBSI vice president Mamerto Galanida said that the community will wait for the results of the Senate inquiry before responding to the request of Socorro LGU to leave Sitio Kapihan.

GMA News Online sought the side of SBSI but it has yet to respond as of posting time.—Jiselle Anne Casucian/LDF, GMA Integrated News