v11n0203

5. Rene Florendia, 27
6. Alan Hagocoy, 26
7. Norberto Diamante, 47
8. Andre Barcoma, 17
Alleged perpetrators: Security guards of Roberto Cuenca of
the Hacienda Velez-Malaga, Barangay Robles, La Castellana,
Negros Occidental
Date of incident: morning of 4 June 2007
Place of incident: in the same area
AHRC-UP-077-2007; AHRC-UA-047-2007
On 4 June 2007, close to 100 farmers went to the area in
hacienda Velez-malaga when security guards of their former
landlord, Roberto Cuenca, opened fired at them to prevent from
entering the land.
The shooting killed Alejandro garcesa, 70 years old and
Ely Tupas, 52 years old. garcesa and Tupas were among the
57 farmers who are beneficiaries of land reform and holders of
Certificate of Land Ownership Award of the farmland they were
claiming. garcesa and Tupas were among the 25 farmers who
launched a hunger strike on February 2007 in Quezon City in front
of the head office of DAR to demand their immediate installation
to the land awarded to them.
Also wounded during the shooting were six other farmers, most
of whom are also beneficiaries, namely Jude Capitania, 32 years
old, Jobert malayas, 25 years old, Rene Florendia, 27 years old,
Alan hagocoy, 26 years old, norberto Diamante, 7 years old, and
Andre Barcoma, 17 years old.
On march 22, they and other farmers were installed by the
DAR, eventually giving them authority to cultivate. About 57 of
the 122 farmer beneficiaries were installed at that time. The 114
hectares land, which is subject for distribution to the beneficiary,
is part of the 446 hectares formerly covered by the said hacienda.
when the shooting happened, even though a team of policemen
attached to the Provincial Regional mobile group was present
in the area it allegedly did not intervene to prevent the shooting
and to secure the farmers’ safety. Also the police station was
located in front of the guardhouse of the security guards who
were responsible but the policemen did nothing. They also did
not intervene to help the slain and wounded farmers shortly after
the shooting.
The inaction of the police was alleged to have been due to the
connections of their senior officers with the Cuencas. The Cuencas
and the farm beneficiaries have since been in protracted conflict
after the farmers were installed on the land awarded to them on
22 march 2007. Also, even the farm workers of the Cuencas also
opposed to the distribution of the land to the farmer-beneficiaries.
Even though the DAR upheld the beneficiary’s ownership
over the land after they were installed, the farmers have since
article 2 � June-Sept 2012 Vol. 11, No. 2-3
Ely Tupas and Alejandro
Garcesa lay dead in a
farm lot in Hacienda-
Velez Malaga in La
Castellana, Negros
Occidental.
Photo: Jimmy A.
Domingo/Task Force
Mapalad
“
When the
shooting happened,
even though a
team of policemen
attached to the
Provincial Regional
Mobile Group was
present in the area
it allegedly did not
intervene to prevent
the shooting.
”
133