TAGUM CITY, Philippines – The recently concluded probe on the shooting incident inside the banana plantation in Barangay Madaum herr documented cases of land grabbing, human rights violations, and police’s refusal to arrest perpetrators.
The National Fact Finding and Solidarity Mission, as stated on their report, aimed to “establish concrete facts on the shooting incidents against farmers and agricultural workers; extend solidarity to the members of Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Inc, Mag-Uuma Alang Sa Tinood Nga Repormang Agraryo and other groups.”
The NFFM also intended “to document the onerous and exploitative Agribusiness Venture Agreement (AVA) between Lapanday and farmworkers’ cooperatives and ensure justice for the victims of the attacks.”
The report said that for the longest time, “LFC (Lapanday) continues to harass the farm workers and deny them their right to their land despite legal ownership.”
The mission said it documented cases of human rights violations such as abuse of the right to peaceful assembly, threats, harassment, and intimidation, illegal arrest, frustrated murder, physical injuries, coercion, and illegal checkpoints.
After the shooting incident, there was a “strong” and “valid” ground to arrest security guards “who fired at the farm workers.”
“The police refused to arrest them for the lame excuse that Lapanday is a privately-owned property. The PNP is seemingly putting the blame on the farmers by saying that they cannot effect an arrest because an investigation is yet to be made regarding the farmer-victims,” the report said.
“The police said that they (the farmers) instigated the shooting and hired private armies when in fact they did not,” the report added.
The company, Lapanday Foods Corporation previously denied its involvement in the shooting incident, which happened twice, on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The attack against the farmers claimed nine wounded protesting farmers, two of whom are still in critical condition at the Davao Regional Hospital in Tagum City.
The report also said that members of Marbai “have long been denied of their right to own and till their land by LFC owned by the Lorenzo family.”
Since 1998, the government granted the rights to the farmers to own and operate the land through its Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.
Since June, Marbai farm workers set up a protest camp outside the LFC plantation to reclaim the land.
But it was only last Dec. 8, when they decided to occupy the 145-hectare area.
Antonio Flores, chairperson of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas said Marbai’s struggle inspires other farmers’ groups around the country.
The mission was organized by KMP and Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura.
It was also participated by human rights group Kaparatan, Anakpawis Partylist, KMP-Southern Mindanao Region, UGMAD TND (Farmers’ Union For Genuine Agrarian Reform), Hugpong sa mga Mag-Uuma sa Walog Compostela, PASAKA, Gabriela, Anakbayan, Center for Trade Union and Human Rights, and Pesticide Action Network in Asia and the Pacific. (davaotoday.com)
