PHILIPPINE National Police (PNP) officer-in-charge Lieutenant General Vicente Danao Jr. maintained on Monday, June 13, 2022, the regularity of police operations that resulted in the arrest of at least 91 individuals in relation to the violent assembly staged by some farmers and cause-oriented groups in Hacienda Tinang in Concepcion, Tarlac last week.
“Responding police units only dutifully performed intervention operations when the situation went out of hand and the members of the militant groups became unruly,” Danao said.
On Thursday, June 9, at least 91 individuals were arrested after police received complaints from resident farmers that members of Kadamay, Anakpawis and other groups destroyed their crops in an attempt to forcefully take over the disputed property.
They were charged for alleged Malicious Mischief, Direct Assault, Disobedience and Resistance to Persons in Authority, Obstruction of Justice and Illegal Assembly.
Danao condemned the arrested individuals for claiming that they were illegally arrested and that their human rights were violated.
“Lagi natin sinasabi na unlawful arrest, e, bakit hindi natin tingnan ‘yung paninira nila ng tanim at meron pang foreigners. What do you think? I think para sa akin, ha, it is an agitated one,” said Danao Jr.
“Do you allow this to happen to anybody of you na sisirain lang ng kahit sinong militanteng grupo ‘yung mga kagamitan ninyo at lalong lalo na 'yung ikasisira ng buhay ninyo? Papayag ba tayo diyan and then on the guise of human rights? Sino ba unang nanggulo diyan? So no right man in his right senses will ever do that. Pinaghirapan ito ng ating mga kababayan na itanim only na sisirain ng mga luko-lukong ito o kahit sino. Please do not use human rights in defending your rights there,” he added.
In a statement, Kadamay said the arrested people were farmers and peasant advocates who visited the farming town to aid and show solidarity for the farmers struggling to claim the land that they have been awarded by the Department of Agrarian Reform since 1995.
Some of them have already posted bail, as of Monday.
The group is calling for donations to bail out some of their members.
“Bail for our 45 members would amount to P39,000 each, a whopping total amount of P1,755,000. We are appealing for donations for their quick release,” it said. (SunStar Philippines)