(Eagle News) — Malacanang condemned “in the strongest possible terms” the Oct. 20 killing of nine sugar workers, including two minors, in Sagay City Negros Occidental as it vowed a “thorough and impartial” investigation of the incident.
“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the reported deaths of sugar workers in Sagay City, Negros Occidental,” Presidential Spokesperson and Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo said in a press statement.
“Families of the victims of this extremely cruel act can count on the government that it will enforce the full wrath of the law against its perpetrators,” he said.
Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones said that the nine sugar workers killed were not beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program.
The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has also condemned the killing, and formed a special task force to look into the incident.
The task force is composed of DAR officials and implementing agencies of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP).
The Philippine National Police is now investigating the incident and looking into various angles.
The PNP special investigation task group is looking at four angles. One is the possible involvement of the owner of the plantation where the workers were killed; second is the possibility that other claimants connected to the New People’s Army were behind the killing; third is that NPA rebels themselves murdered the sugar workers.
The fourth angle is the possible involvement of members of the Citizens’ Armed Forces Geographical Unit (CAFGU)
Police said that certain CAFGU members and some of the farm workers had a conflict way back 2015.
The nine sugar workers were members of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW). The ambush happened at 9 p.m. during a Land Cultivation Area or “bungkalan” activity in Hacienda Nene in Barangay Bulanon, Sagay City, Negros Occidental.
Among the victims were two 17-year old individuals. The farm workers were just resting in improvised tents when they were attacked by still unidentified armed men.
Three of the victims were also reportedly burned. (with a report from Mar Gabriel, Eagle News Service)
