THE Makabayan bloc lawmakers filed a resolution at the House of Representatives on Thursday, calling for the committee on human rights and agrarian reform to investigate the shooting of agricultural workers under the Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association Inc. (Marbai) in Tagum City, Davao del Norte on December 12, Monday.
In a House Resolution Number 634 emailed to VoxPop Davao, the Makabayan bloc directed the committee on human rights and agrarian reform to look into the shooting incident that wounded seven allegedly perpetrated by armed security guards of Lapanday Food Corporation (LFC) owned by the Lorenzo family.
The 159 agricultural workers of Marbai in Barangay Madaum, Tagum City were beneficiaries of a 145-hectare of land, now planted with bananas, who were granted a collective Certificate of Land Ownership Award (Cloa) under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp) in 2010.
In 2010, Marbai members decided to leave Hijo Employees Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperation 1 (Hearbco 1) as their former cooperative to personally cultivate the land without control from the Lapanday Food Corporation (LFC) particularly under the unfair terms of contract and other rights abuses.
According to Marbai, Hearbco 1 was indebted to LFC for about P1 million with a contract that started in 2011.
With the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) order in 2010 favoring the agricultural workers, LFC controlled their allotted lands for over six years through alleged deployment of heavily-armed guards and threats of violence; hence, they were not able to earn their livelihood.
On December 15 last year, the Davao del Norte Provincial Agrarian Reform adjudicator issued a decision on reinstating the members as beneficiaries and awarded the said 145 hectares of land located in San Isidro, Tagum City.
In October 2016, Secretary Rafael Mariano of the DAR committed that the land would be turned over to the beneficiaries.
Starting last October to December this year, families and supporters from Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries One Movement and Unyon sa Mga Mag-uuma Alang sa Tinood Nga Repormang Agraryo (UGMAD-TRA, Union of Farmers for Genuine Land Reform) held protests in front of DAR office for its inaction.
The agrarian advocates also held protest at LFC office in Davao City to question its claim of the land.
Marbai asserted that LFC had no legal basis to occupy their lands and they have an urgent need to cultivate them. The Marbai members have successfully reclaimed the land from LFC on December 9 due to their collective efforts.
According to reports, heavily-armed men and goons from the LFC entered the Marbai members land on December 12 and harvested their bananas.
When the armed men confronted by agricultural workers, they opened fire at the victims, wounding seven workers-Jose Balucos, Emmanuel Buladaco, Belardo Francisco, Jojo Gomez, Talban Miparanun, and certain Rico and Bobong. Most of them are now in critical condition and admitted at the Tagum City Hospital.
The agricultural workers also vowed to continue to fight for their rightful claim on the land as conveyed by their letter to the office of the DAR. The workers urged DAR to issue a cease and desist order, directing LFC to stop the illegal harvesting of their products.
Workers also urged the government to issue an order directing the Department of Agrarian Reform Adjudication Board (Darab) central office to execute the December 15, 2015 order as amended by May 2016 order to reinstate the agricultural workers on their land.
Workers also appealed for the prevention of the armed men and security guard from entering their land as they accused them of causing rights abuses against Marbai members and families.
They also call for the immediate disbandment of Lapanday's private armed group and hold them accountable for their offenses.
