9 sugar farmers killed: Land dispute eyed in Negros Occidental massacre

NINE sugar farmers were killed by unidentified, heavily-armed men as they were resting in makeshift tents in an agricultural farm in Hacienda Nene in Negros Occidental on Saturday night.

The fatalities were members of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) which said three other farmers were wounded in the incident in Hacienda Nene in Purok Pinetree, Barangay Bulanon, Sagay City.

The victims include three women and two male minors. Some of the fatalities had burn marks, police said.

Several workers were unhurt as they scampered upon hearing gunfire.

NFSW-Negros chairman Rolando Rillo said his group’s investigation showed “goons” of the landowners, who have been harassing the farmers, are behind the killing. 

Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, chief of the Western Visayas Police, said reports reaching his office showed the victims were illegally occupying the farm land.

He also said he has ordered his men to investigate all possible angles, including the alleged involvement of the New People’s Army, known to be involved in land disputes in the province.

Intelligence reports show the NPA has an “Oplan Bungkalan at Okupasyon” (Operational Plan Cultivate and Occupy), which calls for the use of its mass base to occupy private and government properties.

Bulalacao identified the fatalities as Eglicerio Villegas, 36; Angelipe Arsenal; Jomarie Ughayon, 17; Marchtel Sumicad, 17; a Peter; Dodong Laurencio; Morena Mendoza; Necnec Dumaguit; and Bingbing Bantigue.

Witnesses said the victims were resting when about 10 heavily-armed men arrived at around 9:30 p.m. Saturday and started firing.

Chief Insp. Roberto Mansueto, Sagay City chief of police, said there were two groups that want to illegally occupy the farm lot, based on an interview with land owner Carmen Tolentino.

Mansueto said the area where the victims were shot is an open field some 400 meters from the main road, and located 10 kilometers from the city proper.

Based on initial investigations, he said, the killers were some 12 meters from where the victims were shot as evidenced by the bullet shells recovered in the farm. 

He also said two of the victims were armed with a .38 caliber revolver and a shotgun. Police were not able to recover the victims’ guns.

Mansueto, quoting witnesses, said there were few gunshots at first, implying the gunmen only wanted to scare the victims.

“The victims, however, retaliated that’s why it probably escalated into a gun battle,” Mansueto said.

He also said there were no reports that the victims were involved in illegal drugs.

The farmers occupied the farm as part of the NFSW’s agrarian reform campaign called “Bungkalan.”

“Land cultivation area or `bungkalan’ is our response to resonate our campaign for genuine agrarian reform and free land distribution. Farmers militantly occupy idle lands and collectively cultivate these lands in order to make it productive. Bungkalan reflects the failure of the government’s land reform program and the landlords’ refusal to distribute land to the tillers,” it said.

“Landlords of the infamous feudal hacienda system in Negros who have long been exploiting farmers and farm workers have been so shaken by the intensified land cultivation campaigns. They are deathly afraid of the unified strength of the farmers to collectively cultivate the land. They even result to the use of brute force and even killings in order to attack farmers who continue to assert and defend their democratic, civil, and political rights,” it also said.

The NFSW said the incident brings to 45 the number of peasant leaders killed in Negros under the Duterte government.

Rillo said the incident would stop his group’s fight for “genuine land reform with free distribution of lands to farmers, the dismantling of haciendas, and end foreign ownership of lands.”