Militant group seeks justice for 14 peasants killed in Negros Oriental
Published Mar 31, 2019 04:02 pm
By Chito Chavez
Militant farmer’s group Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) on Sunday demanded that justice be given to the 14 peasants killed in three towns in Negros Oriental supposedly due to terrorism.
(Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura / MANILA BULLETIN)
Antonio “Ka Tonying” Flores, newly elected chairperson of UMA, claimed the 14 peasant deaths were similar to what happened in Guihulngan and nearby places late last year in which six were killed “tokhang style”.
He noted the peasants were killed allegedly for fighting it out with police and military elements.
Flores added that even Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo called for an impartial investigation to the Guihulngan killings saying “it is contrary to experience that an individual who is allegedly armed with a .38 caliber revolver will fight it out with more than 20 or 30 fully armed personnel of both the PNP and the army while serving the search warrants simultaneously during that time in Guihulngan, La Libertad, Mabinay, Sta. Catalina and other areas.”
“We call on the governor and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and other independent bodies to call again for an impartial investigation in the killings of the 14 peasants,’’ Flores said.
The 14 who were killed on Saturday included eight farmers from Canlaon City, namely, the Avelino brothers Ismael, 53, and Edgardo, 59, of Sitio Carmen, Barangay Panubigan; Melchor Panares, 67, and his son, Mario, 46 of Sitio Tigbahi, Barangay Bayog; Rogelio Recomono, 52 and his son Ricky, 28, of Sitio Manggata, Barangay Masulog; Gonzalo Rosales, 47, of Barangay Pula and Genes Palmares, 54 of Barangay Aquino. Edgardo Avelino was the chairman of HUKOM or Hugpong Kusog sa Mag-uuma sa Canlaon City, a local chapter of
the national peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).
Aside from the killings, UMA said authorities also illegally arrested around 12 other farmers, including Nestor Kadusale, 58, of Sitio Kambugtong, Barangay Bantolinao, and a local leader of the KMP in Manjuyod town.
Four of those killed in Manjuyod included two barangay chairpersons: Valentin (“Eric” in police report) Acabal of Barangay Kandabong, and Sonny Palagtiw of Barangay Panciao; and two farmers, Steve Arapoc and Manulo Martin. Two others were in killed in Sta. Catalina town, were identified as Franklin Lariosa and Ano Enojo Rapada.
The alleged perpetrators of the massacre included elementsof the Philippine National Police-Region (PNP) - Region 7, its Special Action Forces (SAF) and Regional Mobile Force (RMF), along with elements of the 94th Infantry Brigade Philippine Army.
They conducted a similar anti-crime synchronized enhanced management of police operations or SEMPO like what they did in Guihulngan earlier.
In a statement, UMA said “the whole Negros Island was also placed Memorandum Circular 32 or state of lawlessness by President Duterte after the Sagay massacre’’.
“It seems though that it is the PNP and the military which is conducting a state of lawlessness against the people of Negros. Besides the massacres in Canlaon, Guihulngan and Sagay, police and military operations are continuing in Northern Negros Occidental, which includes Sagay and Escalante’’ the group added.
UMA said there were also reports that the SEMPO will also be launched in Escalante City as the police allegedly already have a list of 100 individuals to be arrested there soon.
“More than 70 individuals, mostly peasants have been extra-judicially killed in Negros during Duterte’s term,’’ it added.
“We cannot blame the peasant masses of Negros if they seek justice elsewhere if this government will continue to trample on their rights with impunity,’’ UMA concluded.
READ MORE: PNP asserts Negros Oriental operation that left 14 dead legitimate, 14 killed in police operations in Negros Oriental
(Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura / MANILA BULLETIN)
Antonio “Ka Tonying” Flores, newly elected chairperson of UMA, claimed the 14 peasant deaths were similar to what happened in Guihulngan and nearby places late last year in which six were killed “tokhang style”.
He noted the peasants were killed allegedly for fighting it out with police and military elements.
Flores added that even Negros Oriental Gov. Roel Degamo called for an impartial investigation to the Guihulngan killings saying “it is contrary to experience that an individual who is allegedly armed with a .38 caliber revolver will fight it out with more than 20 or 30 fully armed personnel of both the PNP and the army while serving the search warrants simultaneously during that time in Guihulngan, La Libertad, Mabinay, Sta. Catalina and other areas.”
“We call on the governor and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and other independent bodies to call again for an impartial investigation in the killings of the 14 peasants,’’ Flores said.
The 14 who were killed on Saturday included eight farmers from Canlaon City, namely, the Avelino brothers Ismael, 53, and Edgardo, 59, of Sitio Carmen, Barangay Panubigan; Melchor Panares, 67, and his son, Mario, 46 of Sitio Tigbahi, Barangay Bayog; Rogelio Recomono, 52 and his son Ricky, 28, of Sitio Manggata, Barangay Masulog; Gonzalo Rosales, 47, of Barangay Pula and Genes Palmares, 54 of Barangay Aquino. Edgardo Avelino was the chairman of HUKOM or Hugpong Kusog sa Mag-uuma sa Canlaon City, a local chapter of
the national peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).
Aside from the killings, UMA said authorities also illegally arrested around 12 other farmers, including Nestor Kadusale, 58, of Sitio Kambugtong, Barangay Bantolinao, and a local leader of the KMP in Manjuyod town.
Four of those killed in Manjuyod included two barangay chairpersons: Valentin (“Eric” in police report) Acabal of Barangay Kandabong, and Sonny Palagtiw of Barangay Panciao; and two farmers, Steve Arapoc and Manulo Martin. Two others were in killed in Sta. Catalina town, were identified as Franklin Lariosa and Ano Enojo Rapada.
The alleged perpetrators of the massacre included elementsof the Philippine National Police-Region (PNP) - Region 7, its Special Action Forces (SAF) and Regional Mobile Force (RMF), along with elements of the 94th Infantry Brigade Philippine Army.
They conducted a similar anti-crime synchronized enhanced management of police operations or SEMPO like what they did in Guihulngan earlier.
In a statement, UMA said “the whole Negros Island was also placed Memorandum Circular 32 or state of lawlessness by President Duterte after the Sagay massacre’’.
“It seems though that it is the PNP and the military which is conducting a state of lawlessness against the people of Negros. Besides the massacres in Canlaon, Guihulngan and Sagay, police and military operations are continuing in Northern Negros Occidental, which includes Sagay and Escalante’’ the group added.
UMA said there were also reports that the SEMPO will also be launched in Escalante City as the police allegedly already have a list of 100 individuals to be arrested there soon.
“More than 70 individuals, mostly peasants have been extra-judicially killed in Negros during Duterte’s term,’’ it added.
“We cannot blame the peasant masses of Negros if they seek justice elsewhere if this government will continue to trample on their rights with impunity,’’ UMA concluded.
READ MORE: PNP asserts Negros Oriental operation that left 14 dead legitimate, 14 killed in police operations in Negros Oriental