FIVE individuals were hurt in the shooting incident that happened amid the talks of presidential aspirant labor leader Leody de Guzman with an indigenous group in Quezon, Bukidnon on Tuesday, April 19, 2022.
De Guzman identified the injured individuals as Nanie Abela, Bae Charita Anglao Del Socorro, Datu Didilusan Arroyo, Orlando Lingaolingao and Eger Dabatian, all members of the Manobo-Pulangiyon tribe.
He said they were immediately brought to a hospital for treatment.
De Guzman said the incident happened while he was in the middle of a discussion with the tribe leaders and members over supposed grabbing of their ancestral land.
In a radio interview, Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Colonel Jean Fajardo said the incident happened around 12 p.m. after the tribe forcibly entered the property.
She said it triggered the security personnel of the property to give warning shots.
“Malinaw lang natin na bago pa nangyari itong insidente kanina ay meron na matagal na land dispute doon sa lugar na yun dahil ‘yung mahigit 1,000-hectare na plantation na pag aari ng isang pamilya doon ay kini-claim nung ating mga kapatid na katutubo na sinasabing sa kanila. So meron na itong kaso sa korte,” said Fajardo.
(Before the shooting incident happened, there was already a land dispute in the area because the 1,000-hectare plantation owned by a certain family is being claimed by the tribe as theirs. This has a pending case in court.)
She said that in a dialogue between the two claimant parties, they agreed to just wait for the resolution of the case.
Fajardo said De Guzman’s claim that they were the target of the shooting is not true.
She said his presence might have also triggered the actions of the tribe despite the agreement and the ongoing legal intervention to fix the matter.
In a separate statement, PNP Public Information Office chief Brigadier General Roderick Alba reminded the candidates to coordinate their activities with the local police to ensure their security and the peace and order.
“We would like to remind our candidates and the public at large na importante ang koordinasyon so the PNP can provide security assistance para maiwasan na mangyari ang kahit anong kaguluhan,” he said.
“Hindi naman pinagbabawal ang area security lalo na sa identified high-risk zone. What the Election Code prohibits is the employment of body guards without the Certificate of Authority,” he added.
Alba said it is premature to say that the incident is election-related.
He said the PNP is continuously gathering information about the incident, noting that among the challenges is the lack of eye witnesses who may provide vital information for the filing of appropriate charges against those responsible in the incident.
“Nevertheless, the PNP vows to continue with the investigation to find out what really happened at mananagot ang dapat managot,” he said.
De Guzman urged the Commission on Human Rights to conduct an investigation on the incident.
Commission on Elections (Comelec) chairman Saidamen Pangarungan condemned the incident.
“These incidents of violence have no place in the process of our elections. This is why the Comelec has been more active in pursuing peace covenants and providing decisive action if threats that disturb a peaceful election arise,” he said in a press statement Tuesday, April 19.
Comelec commissioner George Garcia said the incident will be looked into and once identified as election-related, “the Comelec is to use all our powers to get to the bottom of this and hold accountable the culprits and face the full force of the law.” (SunStar Philippines)