PRIME NEWS POST 

Labuan Bajo – Everyone would agree that when the government encourages its people to progress, it benefits the community. Labuan Bajo, located in Komodo District, West Manggarai Regency, is one such example. The area has been designated by the government as a super-priority tourism destination.

This has made it an attractive new business opportunity for both national and international investors. However, the situation is not as smooth as hoped – land issues have emerged that are hindering investment.

In the latest development, a potential dispute has been revealed involving members of the local community themselves, including individuals who hold influence as public figures and religious leaders.

The Catholic order represented by Marsel Agot (MA), an alleged priest from the Societas Verbi Divini (SVD) order, is reportedly in conflict with Aloysius Oba, a local farmer and native of Labuan Bajo, over an 11-hectare plot of land in the Batu Gosok area.

MA is said to have long been in Labuan Bajo and operates the Prundi Hotel business. He has been vocal in claiming ownership of the 11-hectare land belonging to Aloysius Oba.

It is also reported that he filed a police report on grounds of defamation. However, witnesses stated that MA made threatening remarks, including “fighting to the death with Alo Oba at the site,” and allegedly called in individuals carrying machetes who issued further threats. MA himself is said to have threatened a “purak mukang wajo kampong” (Manggarai for “village battle”), where residents from his village would gather at the land site in Labuan Bajo.

The question is: Dare MA and his Legal Counsel (PH) hold an open press conference to present their land ownership documents for the 11-hectare plot in Batu Gosok, Labuan Bajo? Do they dare to name the land officer who granted the title – is it Usman Umar, or someone else?

The public in Labuan Bajo and across the nation is waiting for MA and his legal team to hold a press conference and present their documents, so they do not appear to be hiding in secrecy.

If MA truly considers himself a clean figure, he should not delay in being transparent. The people of Labuan Bajo are demanding that MA and his associates be open to the public. Why is this demand being made? Because the public reads news about MA regularly in the media.

From Jakarta, Raji Sitepu, a Social, Economic, and Tourism Observer (N. S. Sos, M.Si.), stated on Sunday (February 22, 2026): “MA and his legal counsel Ireneus Surya, S.H., must not take the Batu Gosok land ownership documents lightly.”

“Do not only report defamation to the police without openly showing proof of ownership. Remember, the root of the problem is a civil land conflict,” he added.

As a public figure and Catholic priest admired by his congregation, MA and his legal counsel IS should have the courage to present the land ownership documents to the public. This would serve as an example for congregation members who may face similar issues.

“Be sportsmanlike. If they do not dare, then the congregation and public will strongly suspect that there was manipulation involved – possibly forged signatures from the alleged land officer Usman Umar, or allegations of land seizure and theft of others’ property rights,” said Raji Sitepu.

He hopes MA and his legal team will be transparent to the public, so that investment plans are not disrupted. Additionally, this would help prevent horizontal conflicts between villages and communities – as seen in videos showing anger from residents of MA’s home village who intended to “storm” Labuan Bajo to protect MA and his family.

“It appears that MA has personal land in the area, to the point that residents from three villages came to defend him. Moreover, it seems MA and his legal counsel have highlighted the villagers’ reaction as positive news to the media, without making any effort to prevent it,” Sitepu explained.

He stated that the incident was allowed to occur, and MA and his legal counsel are suspected of being provocateurs of unlawful acts (PMH), ignoring the role of the West Manggarai Police (Polres Mabar) in maintaining security.

In contrast, Aloysius Oba – the owner of the 11-hectare Batu Gosok land – has not made public outcries. Instead, he has taken concrete action by reporting MA to the order’s leadership, the Bishop, and even the Vatican, through his legal counsel including Irjen Pol (P) Drs. I Wayan Sukawinaya and Jon Kadis, S.H.

Alo Oba (as he is known informally) will take further concrete steps to resolve the conflict, including filing a criminal report as soon as possible and a civil lawsuit with the Labuan Bajo District Court.

“This is to ensure that land ownership documents can be presented transparently before the panel of judges, where they can be examined and debated so that the court can make a ruling,” Alo Oba concluded. (ed)

Reported from various media sources // photo from Google documents // contribution by Prime News Post international online media