1 dead in Las Piñas village standoff

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March 5, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — A standoff over the leadership of BF Resort Village in Las Piñas turned bloody, leaving a security guard dead on Wednesday.

A court sheriff arrived at the BF Resort Village Homeowners’ Association Inc. office to enforce a writ of execution from the Human Settlements Adjudication Commission (HSAC), ordering the board to turn over its funds and properties to the Talon Homeowners’ Association.

The Talon homeowners had been recognized by the HSAC and the Court of Appeals as the legal homeowners’ association in the village. The leadership row remains pending before the Supreme Court.

Escorted by a battalion of police officers, the sheriff insisted on entering the office, which cost the life of 47-year-old Geremias Villaplaza.

“According to his colleagues, when the glass door was opened, people pushed each other until he was knocked down and got stepped on,” Villaplaza’s nephew, Rey Samijon, told The STAR.

Villaplaza left behind his two children and wife, who is working in Qatar but could not go home due to the Middle East conflict.

Samijon said the family would press charges against those responsible for Villaplaza’s death.

Police, however, said Villaplaza died of a heart attack.

Las Piñas Councilor Euan Toralballa, who heads the homeowners’ association, appealed for calm as the dispute, which has been running since 2024, deepens.

Toralballa told The STAR that they did not want the dispute to escalate into deaths.

“My personal stance is that government personnel should be one with us in promoting peace,” he said.

Jose Deo Aguinaldo, one of the complainants, said the Talon Homeowners is duly registered and recognized by the court to take over the BF Resort Village’s administration.