POLICE are gathering evidence against a possible perpetrator of the Sagay massacre while looking at four possible motives for the attack that killed nine sugarcane farmers.
Western Visayas Police Director Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao said on Monday, October 22, that witnesses have pointed to a resident of Hacienda Nene in Sagay City as one of the possible gunmen who shot the farmers on Saturday, October 20.
“Initially nakita nila, pero hindi nila ma-identify because nung mag-start ang putukan nagtago na sila pero meron daw silang na-identify na isang taga roon lang sa hacienda,” Bulalacao said in a press conference in Camp Crame.
He said the suspect was being profiled by investigators.
Bulalacao also said investigators were looking at four angles on the killing: that it was perpetrated by goons hired by the owner of the land which the victims were trying to occupy; that it was perpetrated by the farmers of the hacienda who already have in their possession the deed of donation from the owner; that it was perpetrated by the communist New People’s Army or by militiamen from the Citizens Armed Forces Geographical Unit (Cafgu).
Nine farmers, including four women and two minors, were killed by unidentified gunmen while resting in a tent in Hacienda Nene, Purok Pine Tree, Barangay Bulanon, Sagay City around 10 p.m. on October 20.
The victims were members of the National Federation of Sugar Workers who took part in "Bungkalan", a campaign wherein farmers occupy and till idle lands covered by the agrarian reform program but have yet to be distributed to farmers.
Bulalacao said farmers in the hacienda had conflict with Cafgu militiamen from years back.
“Base sa initial investigation, ‘yung may ari ng lupa, si Ms. Tolentino pinaupahan ‘yung farm niya pero bago n’ya pinarenta merong 40 farmers doon allegedly yung mga farmers have already in their possession the deed of donation from the landowners,” he said.
“Nung malaman, ‘yung mga biktima, pumunta doon sa lugar na instigated by the core members of the sugarcane federation ng Negros, at yun ang naging problema at noong October 20 pinuntahan sila nung 40 na alleged farmers at kinausap na wag mag-squat sa lugar but itong mga namatay insisted to stay on at nung gabi namatay sila,” he added.
Bulalacao said witnesses reported only five to seven gunmen.
He said they were also considering as persons of interest the three core members of the NFSW who brought the victims to camp out in the area.
Bulalacao said the three NFSW members who already underwent a paraffin test survived the attack after they went to one of the houses in the area to re-charge their phone batteries minutes before the perpetrators arrived.
He said a Special Investigation Task Group has been formed which will be led by Negros Occidental police chief Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil Jr. (SunStar Philippines)