President Duterte is taking a “completely neutral” stance on the killings in Negros Oriental although he ordered government agencies to investigate the matter and “resolve these disputes in favor of the poor,” Presidential spokesman Harry Roque said on Tuesday, May 25.
During a virtual press briefing, the Palace official said that Duterte was “appalled” at the killings happening in Negros Oriental.
“Ang sinabi po ng Presidente (What the President said) is he will be completely neutral pero gagampanan ng estado ang kanyang obligasyon na imbestigahan, litisin, at parusahan ang mga taong pumapatay sa Negros Oriental (but the state will fulfill its obligation of investigating, prosecuting, and punishing those responsible for the killings in Negros Oriental),” Roque said.
The Chief Executive already tasked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to resolve “the conflicting claims to (the) untitled land” that was the root of the killings.
READ: https://mb.com.ph/2021/05/21/chr-condemns-npas-attack-vs-civilians-in-negros-oriental/
“Ang sabi po ng Presidente (The President said) everything else being equal, resolve these disputes in favor of the poor,” Roque stressed.
Duterte also asked the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to hasten the distribution of the agricultural lands to the farmer-beneficiaries because he believes that the lack of farmlands is one of the reasons why rebel groups are taking on arms.
The Defend Negros Facebook page is calling for a “decent” minimum wage for farmers, as well as to “stop accusing sick and elderly activists of being armed.”
Over the last few weeks, peasant leaders have reportedly been abducted and killed by state forces after being suspected to be members of the New People’s Army (NPA), the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).
On Monday, eight suspected NPA members were killed in a three-hour firefight in Guihulngan City, Negros Oriental after soldiers responded to reports of a “threatened populace” because of the presence of armed men.