3 farmers shot in Pampanga hacienda

PORAC, Pampanga, Philippines   â€“ Three farmers were shot as they were on their way to their farm in Hacienda Dolores, which has been embroiled in a land reform conflict, in this town on Sunday morning.

The incident was the latest of the attacks apparently targeting members of the Aniban ng Nagkakaisang Mamamayan sa Hacienda Dolores (Aniban).

Noel Tumali, his son Rey-nold and companion Arman Padino were taken to the Jose Lingad Memorial Hospital in San Feranando, according to farmers’ groups Aguman Dareng Maglalautang Capampangan (AMC), Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL) and Aniban.

AMC said the elder Tumali and Padino were reported yesterday to be in critical condition.

Padino suffered a bullet wound in his head. The younger Tumali had less serious injuries but remained confined in the same hospital.

The controversial areas involved at least 754 hectares of the 2,099-hectare Hacienda Dolores near the interchange of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.     

– Ding Cervantes, Ric Sapnu

“We suspect the perpetrators of the shooting were hired goons,” the statement said.

AMC president Mario Franco, who also tills land in Hacienda Dolores, said there have been random shootings, illegal arrests and detention and

grenade-throwing within the hacienda.

Last Wednesday, policemen arrested Ener Tolentino of Aniban as he was on his way to his farm in the hacienda.

Last month, Modesto Posadas of Aniban survived an attack by unidentified gunmen as he was on his way to the hacienda, while Jessel Orgas was wounded after a grenade was thrown into his house on Dec. 6, 2013.

A fact-finding team of farmers’ groups and non-government organizations said in a report that some 350 farmers and about 1,000 families have been displaced from the lands they inherited from their forefathers who had tilled the farms way back in 1835.

The fact-finding team spent two days at the hacienda to investigate reports of land grabbing, according to AMGL president Joseph Canlas.

Canlas said private corporations claiming ownership of various parts of Hacienda Dolores allegedly violated the rights of the farmers, particularly when they were first prevented from tending their farms in 2011.

He sought an investigation on how the farmers’ lands were titled to private corporations as he noted there had been several claimants since the original farmers settled in Hacienda Dolores in 1835.

He cited records showing the claimants included Gregorio Macapinlac during the late 19th century and the Champourshin family from 1916 to 1975.

He said the Puyat family claimed part of the hacienda during the Marcos dictatorship, the Dayrit family in 1999, the LHI in 2005 and the FL Corp. in 2007.

Canlas said the LHI is reportedly claiming 298 hectares covering from Purok 3 to 8, while FL Corp. is claiming another 456 hectares covering lowlands and even a portion of a mountain.

He also cited news reports saying that a developer plans to convert 1,000 hectares of Hacienda Dolores into a housing project.