DINALUPIHAN, Bataan – Hundreds of informal settlers, tagged by local authorities as a group of syndicate land grabbers, swarmed and occupied the government-owned 700-hectare Bataan National Park here, endangering the Roosevelt Protected Landscape where thousands of giant trees are located.

The encroaching of the informal settlers numbering about 400 families here had alarmed the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), the provincial government of Bataan, and the municipal government here.

“We have in fact filed a case before the Prosecutor’s office against the leaders of the squatting syndicate,” said PENRO head Ric Lazaro.

Known as Roosevelt Park, the area is a protected landscape at the Bataan National Park located in four villages – Tipo of Hermosa town; Roosevelt, San Pablo, and Bangal of Dinalupihan town – which is the only area where the virgin forest with century-old trees are located in the province.

This is under the management of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Informed of the issue, Bataan Gov. Enrique “Tet” Garcia said he will never tolerate illegal squatting in the province.

According to Lazaro, the leader of the illegal squatters is a certain Victor Rotairo, a former member of the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU), and three other former members of the Philippine Army who he claimed are allegedly collecting fees from the informal settlers.

“In fact, I have already filed criminal charges against them to teach them a lesson,” said Lazaro.

Interviewed by newsmen, Rotairo claimed that he has been “protecting” the area since 1986 when he was still a member of CAFGU as he appealed to President Noynoy Aquino to give the land to them.

Most of the informal settlers are reportedly residents of Pampanga and in nearby Olongapo City.

But Mayor Joel Payumo placed the blamed on the DENR for its alleged failure to act on the swarming of informal settlers.

The municipality of Dinalupihan had sent fencing materials to fence the area.