By Jeffrey Damicog
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) will stick to the evidence it gathered from its investigation of the massacre of the nine farm workers in Sagay City, assured Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra on Tuesday.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra
(TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) The secretary made the assurance in response to allegations that the NBI investigation was only meant to bolster that communist rebels were behind it. “The NBI investigation is still ongoing and we’ll go by what the evidence will show,” Guevarra said. On Oct. 20, the nine victims, all members of National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW), were killed inside the 75-hectare sugar plantation in Hacienda Nene in Sagay City, Negros Occidental. Initial reports said that around 40 men arrived and started firing at the victims who were in the makeshift tents. After the incident, lawyer Benjamin Ramos, the legal counsel of the families of the victims, was killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen on Nov. 6 in Kabanlakan, Negros Occidental. Guevarra has already directed the NBI to investigate both incidents and determine if these are related. However, the NSFW has expressed concerns that it will be included in the Department of Justice (DOJ) proscription before the Manila court which has been asked to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and New People’s Army (NPA) as terrorists. The NSFW cited Guevarra has made public statements insinuating that the ongoing investigation is meant to target communist rebels as perpetrators in the two incidents. “Would the DOJ then include the NFSW in the proscription list if the NBI tags the NPA as the perpetrators of the Sagay massacre or even Atty. Ben Ramos, who was red tagged April this year when his picture together with others were put in a tarpaulin together with NPA rebels in the Municipality of Moises Padilla,” it said in a statement. “If that is the case, we suggest that the DOJ secretary just pull out the NBI in Negros Island and just parrot what his tyrannical boss and his military and police officials want the people to believe to be the perpetrators of the Sagay massacre and the killers of Atty. Ben,” it added.
Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra(TOTO LOZANO/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO / MANILA BULLETIN) The secretary made the assurance in response to allegations that the NBI investigation was only meant to bolster that communist rebels were behind it. “The NBI investigation is still ongoing and we’ll go by what the evidence will show,” Guevarra said. On Oct. 20, the nine victims, all members of National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW), were killed inside the 75-hectare sugar plantation in Hacienda Nene in Sagay City, Negros Occidental. Initial reports said that around 40 men arrived and started firing at the victims who were in the makeshift tents. After the incident, lawyer Benjamin Ramos, the legal counsel of the families of the victims, was killed by motorcycle-riding gunmen on Nov. 6 in Kabanlakan, Negros Occidental. Guevarra has already directed the NBI to investigate both incidents and determine if these are related. However, the NSFW has expressed concerns that it will be included in the Department of Justice (DOJ) proscription before the Manila court which has been asked to declare the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and New People’s Army (NPA) as terrorists. The NSFW cited Guevarra has made public statements insinuating that the ongoing investigation is meant to target communist rebels as perpetrators in the two incidents. “Would the DOJ then include the NFSW in the proscription list if the NBI tags the NPA as the perpetrators of the Sagay massacre or even Atty. Ben Ramos, who was red tagged April this year when his picture together with others were put in a tarpaulin together with NPA rebels in the Municipality of Moises Padilla,” it said in a statement. “If that is the case, we suggest that the DOJ secretary just pull out the NBI in Negros Island and just parrot what his tyrannical boss and his military and police officials want the people to believe to be the perpetrators of the Sagay massacre and the killers of Atty. Ben,” it added.