MANILA - More than 1,000 residents of the Tala estate in Caloocan on Monday asked the Supreme Court (SC) to resolve the pending cases on the alleged spurious sales of the property. 'Thousands have invested 30 years of their lives and resources for decent housing. We've faced violence, threats, and even incarceration defending ourselves from illegal demolitions,' Tala Estate Settlers' Federation (TESEF) secretary general Fatima Cabanag said in asking the high court for a resolution of the pending cases. Cabang also urged the government to 'protect its citizens standing up against fraudsters.' The estate, located between Quezon City and Caloocan has long been embroiled in legal battles since 1996 when the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) and TESEF sued a private firm over false land claims. TESEF said that due to the absence of a 'lis pendens' marking on land titles covering the property, fraudulent claims continue to proliferate. A lis pendens is an official notice to the public that a lawsuit involv ing a claim on a property has been filed. The group said since 2006, approximately 2,100 families have been forcibly evicted and under threats of demolition because of the unresolved cases before the SC. Source: Philippines News Agency