THE Philippine National Police (PNP) is blaming the New People's Army (NPA) for the gun attack that killed nine farmers in Sagay City, Negros Occidental and said the communists may have committed the crime in an attempt to discredit the government.
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), on the other hand, blamed "military- and police-backed private armies and paramilitary groups" for the massacre and dismissed as "outright lies" the allegation that the NPA was behind the attack. The NPA is the armed wing of the CPP.
Unidentified armed men shot at farmers participating in "Bungkalan", a campaign by militant groups to occupy and till idle lands covered by the agrarian reform program, in Hacienda Nene in Barangay Bulanon, Sagay City at around 10 p.m. on Saturday, October 20.
The attack killed nine people, including two minors, who were all members of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW).
PNP Chief Oscar Albayalde on Tuesday, October 23, said one of the angles they were looking at is an attempt by the communists to discredit the government.
"Isang tinitignan pa (na anggulo) ay para i-discredit ‘yung administrasyon o itong gobyerno natin, kaya ngayon po makita natin kaliwa't kanan ‘yung sinasabi ng makakaliwa na AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines) at PNP daw po ang may kagagawan," he said.
"Wala naman pong katotohanan iyan," he added.
Albayalde alleged that the NFSW is a “legal front” of the NPA.
He said the NPA uses the NFSW in order to occupy and amass land areas which they may use for their illegal activities.
Western Visayas Police Director Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao earlier said the victims illegally set up their tent in the hacienda, which has already been donated to some 40 farmers there.
He said there were at least four angles they were looking at including the involvement of the NFSW. He alleged that members of the group may be supporters or even members of the NPA.
“’Yung possible involvement of the NPA kasi kung mapapansin niyo based on the info we gathered, itong mga biktima ay dalawang araw pa lang na miyembro ng National Federation of Sugar Workers so mga bago sila. Dinala sila sa hacienda para mag-occupy at noong mai-settle down sila doon, ‘yung mga recruiters na allegedly ay core group of the NFSW ay umalis and a few minutes after that, nooong 9:45 in the evening binaril sila,” he said.
The CPP, on the other hand, denounced the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte "for twisting facts and sowing disinformation."
In a statement published on its website, the communist group said private armies and paramilitary groups allegedly supported by the police and military have been behind the spate of killings against peasant leaders on Negros Island.
"The conjecture by police officials that the NPA committed the massacre to stir up the masses is garbage," the group stated.
"The NPA is a largely peasant army that wages people’s war to advance their democratic demand for land reform. It will never put the peasant masses and people in harm's way," it added.
The CPP said "revolutionary authorities in Negros" were investigating the massacre.
"A special people’s court can be convened soonest in order to try the criminals behind the massacre and heed the cry for justice of the peasants and farm workers," it added. (SunStar Philippines)