A video recorded on Sicogon Island on June 20 and posted to Facebook on June 25 has gone viral across Western Visayas, showing a community gathering where a speaker accuses private security personnel and local authorities of surrounding residents and blocking access to farms and fishing grounds. The speaker repeatedly refers to the situation as a "siege" and alleges land-grabbing by a major developer.

As of this publication, there is no official statement from the Philippine National Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6), the Municipality of Carles, or Sicogon Island Tourism Estate Corp. (SITEC) confirming the specific claims made in the video. The Iloilo Metropolitan Times, which republished excerpts on June 26, noted that police and local officials had not yet responded to requests for comment at the time of posting.⁶

What happened this month

1. May 20 — Petition filed. More than 700 families represented by FESIFFA and BUFFA filed a petition with DAR seeking installation on lands they say were awarded under CARP, according to Rappler.¹
2. Late May — Housing complaints. Panay News published "Discord in paradise," reporting that residents allege delays in promised post-Yolanda housing and livelihood support.²
3. June 15 — Alleged 'closure'. In later social posts, residents alleged tighter security checks at the island's main port and interior paths, which they described as a closure of their community.
4. June 17 — Land donation proposed. The Iloilo provincial government announced it would move to donate provincial-owned land to help resettle qualified claimants, per PNA.⁴
5. June 20 — Video recorded. The viral video was filmed in Barangay San Fernando, where the speaker accused "guards of Ayala" and local officials of harassment.⁵
6. June 25 — Video posted. Resident Sarah Jane Barlas uploaded the reel to Facebook, where it was amplified by pages including Bilyonaryo and radar.ph.⁷⁸
7. June 26 — Media confirmation pending. Iloilo Metropolitan Times shared a carousel summarizing the video, explicitly noting the lack of official confirmation.⁶

Why residents are in court

• 2010 JVA: SIDECO and Ayala Land signed the original Joint Venture Agreement to develop Sicogon through SITEC.
• 2012 CARP coverage: DAR placed portions of the island under CARP, identifying farmer and fisherfolk beneficiaries.
• 2013 post-Yolanda displacement: After Super Typhoon Yolanda devastated the island, residents allege they were relocated for safety and later prevented from returning to awarded areas as development resumed — a claim previously disputed by developers in court filings cited by Panay News.²
• 2014 CFA: DAR issued Certificates of Finality of Award to beneficiaries now organized under FESIFFA and BUFFA, according to the groups' petition.¹
• 2021 amendment: The JVA was amended to expand the tourism estate, which petitioners allege overlaps with CARP-awarded lots.¹
• 2026 status: DAR installation proceedings and related civil cases remain pending. Residents allege continued non-installation; SITEC has not issued a public comment on the pending litigation as of June 26.

Official response so far

PNP PRO-6 has not released a statement on the alleged "siege" or on any deployment of personnel to Sicogon this month. The Carles LGU has also not posted an official response on its verified channels. Ayala Land and SITEC have not publicly addressed the specific accusations made in the June 20 video.

The only recent government action on record is the provincial initiative reported by PNA on June 17, in which Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said the province would pursue a land donation and swap to create a resettlement site — describing it as an effort to resolve the "long-standing land dispute."⁴ DOLE Region 6, previously mentioned in labor-related coverage of the island, has not commented on the current video.

Island life continues

Despite the viral video, tourism operations appear to continue. A June 22 reel from Pride of Panay showed regular boat arrivals and guests at the resort area.¹⁰ On June 23, Partido Sosyalista ng Pilipinas posted in support of FESIFFA, calling for dialogue and DAR-led installation rather than confrontation.⁹

Interest in the island's history also resurfaced this week, with sinegang.ph republishing its explainer "Whatever Happened to 'Asog'?" — noting that the 2023 film dramatized similar displacement allegations.³