How on earth can a very close friend become the greatest enemy? This is about 2 families who were at feud for several years. The conflict was very severe because even their own sons and the daughter already got involved and affected due to the fight of their parents. Their children did not expect that both of their parents are now enemies for life. A very close friend became a bitter adversary.

It started year of 2005, in a remote village of Magsaysay. I have known them quite a long time as I had been in their place because I was in business of buying rattan poles. I rented a room near their house and witnessed incidents that cost the lives of 2 members of the family.

Roberto and Eric were both friends when they were in their adolescent years. They went together with their other friends to visit some places several kilometers away from their village. It is common for teenagers to spend their time together especially if the place celebrated their fiesta day which they were invited. These sort of gatherings occurred every year as the residents are preparing food for their visitors.

When they both married, their relationship were even closer. They raised their own family and had children. Roberto had 3 sons while Eric had a son and beautiful daughter. The 2 families became the envy of other families in their village. They joined together in a picnic or go to their own houses during birthdays and camping together during their free time. They were inseparable, treating each other as brothers.

Their conflict started due to a piece of land. They squatted an area of 5 hectares in the Cadastal land owned by the government. This property has no title yet. The squatters only had a declaration of temporary ownership. They agreed to put the name of Eric in the declaration instead of both their names because Roberto trusted his friend that when the time come that the area is ready for release to squatters, that's the time they will divide it and apply separately. The land was already fully developed with coconut trees, bananas, fruit trees and other perennial plants. They worked together in maintaining the land. Eric continued paying taxes to the city government based on the declaration amount.

After two years, the government finally released it comprising 150 hectares to all occupants who squatted in the different section of the land for distribution to would-be owners.

This is the time that Eric started showing his greediness. He secretly filed for a permanent application of ownership of the whole 5 hectares without the knowledge of Roberto. He was very interested to owned it completely for himself. When Roberto knew, he was very furious. This was the beginning of their strained relationship. The reason why Eric wanted to have it all was because he was the one who put more of his time cultivating the land while his friend contributed it less, as Roberto only went there if he had the time. But Roberto contested that it is their own land together and they have to share it together, too.

This strained relationship between the 2 families affected their children who were already teenagers. Two of the sons of Roberto who has deliquency problem and using the prohibited drugs wanted to fight back against Eric for what he did to their father. With the devil-like attitude, the 2 sons made a plan against the law. They raped the daughter of Eric. Elena knew who were his molesters and told her brother what they did to her. Her brother was shock, undecided if he has to informed their parents.

One Sunday afternoon when the 2 brothers went home after a drinking spree and very drunk, the brother of Elena attacked the 2 brothers using a bolo killing them instantly on the spot. It's a gruesome act done because of hatred for what they did to Elena. The brother of Elena surrendered to the authorities in the next village for his safety. An investigation was made, necessary charges filed, the brother of Elena was sentenced with murder.

Due to the greediness of a person to own a land by himself many lives were affected, the relationship of the two friends, the rape that happened, the death of the 2 brothers and the imprisonment of the other member of the family. These all resulted to their world going upside down.

Tags & Keywords : land