THE National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW)-Negros Occidental dismissed reports that nine members of their members who were massacred in Sagay City on October 20 were new recruits of the New People's Army (NPA).
NFSW local chairperson Rolando Rillo in a press briefing at the Negros Press Club (NPC) in Bacolod City said: "it is just the government's propaganda."
Earlier, Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo did not discount the possibility that the communists wanted to pin the blame on the government.
"'Yung federation ng farmers kung saan miyembro 'yung mga taong ito, eh lumalabas na legal front ng Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP-NPA). At 'yung mga pinatay ay bagong recruit pa lang daw 'yun the day before pinatay sila. Ang nakakapagtaka doon, kung ito ay legal front ng CPP-NPA at mga recruit nila 'yung pinatay, bakit nila ginawa 'yun?" he said in a radio interview.
(The fatalities were members of a farmers' federation that is a legal front of the CPP-NPA. And the slain individuals were reportedly recruited just the day before they had been killed. What's surprising is why did they kill them if the new recruits are from the legal front of the CPP-NPA?)
"Parang lumalabas, pinatay nila ang mga sarili nilang recruit, 'di ba? Oo, parang [gusto nilang masisi ang gobyerno]. Basta ang alam natin, parang something is wrong with that," he added.
(Why did they have to kill their new recruits? Yes, it seems like [they want the government to be blamed]. What we know is something is wrong with that.)
Rillo said: "with that, the government is making the farmers, criminals and even accusing them of being fronts of the NPA."
“Is that their way of giving back to the farmers?” He asked. "Wala sila kabalaslan (They’re ungrateful),” Rillos said.
“Those seated in the government have no good manners. Instead of solving the problem on agrarian reform and poverty, they are accusing legitimate organizations of having connections with the NPA,” Rillos said.
Rillos said the NFSW is an organization that listens and helps farmers air out their sentiments to the government.
The administration of President Rodrigo Duterte has made it a state policy to intimidate, harass, arrest, and even kill activists and critics instead of answering their legitimate demands, Rillos said in a press statement.
“We will not be cowered by such brazen attempt of this regime to silence us. We vow to continue with much vigor and an even bolder resolve to fight for genuine land reform with free distribution of lands to farmers, the dismantling of haciendas, and end foreign ownership of lands,” he added.
The Sagay massacre resulted to the death of Eglicerio Villegas, 36 and his common-law wife Angelipe Arsenal, 47; Paterno Baron, 48; Rene Laurencio, 53 Marcelina Dumaguit, 56; Rommel Bantigue; Morena Mendoza; Jomarie Ughayon Jr., 16; and Marchtel Sumicad, 17.
They were members of NFSW who occupied an idle portion of Hacienda Nene in Bulanon village.
Karapatan-Negros secretary-general Clarissa Dagatan, said they are willing to coordinate with the police regarding the investigation of the case but they will also conduct an independent investigation on the matter.
The two groups, together with the Negros Alliance for Human Rights Advocates (NAHRA) and other progressive groups, strongly condemned the killing of nine farmers.
Dagatan said the national chairperson of NFSW will arrive in the province on Wednesday, October 24, to check on the development of the case.
A national fact-finding team will also probe the incident.
Dagatan, who went emotional during the press briefing said they called for justice for the slain farmers. (with reports from SunStar Philippines)