The Philippine National Police is looking at four groups as the possible killers of nine sugarcane farmers in Negros Occidental province on Saturday: goons hired by the landowner, other land claimants, communist New People’s Army (NPA) insurgents, or militiamen.

Malacañang has blamed the killings on the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP).

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Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo on Monday cited initial police findings pointing to the NPA as the group behind the killings.

“There are initial findings, which reveal that the [survivors] identified those who attacked them as members of the NPA,” Panelo said in a radio interview.

Communist ‘legal front’

He said the farmers’ group was a “legal front” of the communist rebels.

The slain farmers, including four women and two minors, belonged to the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW).

“[T]hose killed were recruited the day before they were killed,” Panelo said.

He said the government would use the full force of the law to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) said on Monday that the farmers were not agrarian reform beneficiaries and entered part of the disputed Hacienda Nene at Barangay Bulanon, Sagay City, illegally on Saturday.

On Saturday night, as the farmers were resting in a tent on the farm, five to seven gunmen came and opened fire, killing them all.

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Killers not yet known

Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, Western Visayas police director, told reporters at PNP headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, on Monday that the killers had not yet been identified.

He said the investigation was looking into the possibility that the landowner deployed goons to remove the farmers from the plantation.

“It is common knowledge in Negros that landowners there tend to assemble people and give them arms so they can help in [securing their lands],” Bulalacao said.

Other land claimants could also be involved in the attack, he said.

Earlier, he said, 40 farmers who had a deed of donation covering the plantation went to see the NFSW farmers and told them not to “squat” on their land.

Bulalacao said some of the 40 farmers were linked to the NPA or were supporters of the insurgents.

He said investigators were also looking at the possibility that the attack was carried out by militiamen because the military auxiliaries had a quarrel with NFSW in 2014 or 2015.

But investigators were leaning toward the NPA angle, he said, because of the communist campaign to discredit the government.

Bulalacao noted that NFSW was a “legal front” of the NPA.

“These victims [who were from other barangays and were not tenants of the hacienda] had been members of NFSW for only two days. They were brought to the hacienda to occupy [the land] and when they were settled there, the recruiters who allegedly were the core group of NFSW left [to go to a house to charge their cell phones] and a few minutes after that, the victims were gunned down,” Bulalacao said.

Used as ‘bait’

In this angle, he said, the victims were used as “bait.”

“That’s why we came up with our angle that this was perpetrated by the NPA in pursuance of their campaign to discredit the government,” Bulalacao said.

The militant Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) slammed the PNP claim of NPA involvement in the killings.

“This allegation is bereft of any proof nor actual motive. The PNP is again trying to push the discredited ‘destabilization’ tale as the motive for the massacre,” Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes said on Monday.

Former Bayan Muna Rep. Neri Colmenares on Sunday called for an independent investigation, suggesting that the military could be involved in the killings.

Colmenares, who is from Negros Occidental, said Brig. Gen. Eliezer Losanes, commander of the 303rd Infantry Brigade, had previously accused farmers involved in the land cultivation system in the province of being NPA members.

‘Cheap trick’

On Monday, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said Colmenares’ accusation was “a cheap and indecent trick to burnish his image.”

Colmenares is running for the Senate in next year’s midterm elections.

The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives filed a resolution urging an inquiry into the killings.

Senators expressed outrage over the killings and called for an impartial investigation.

The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) condemned the killings and called on the government to give assurance that justice would be served for the victims.

Jacqueline de Guia, CHR spokesperson, said the government should also deal with the plight of the farmers.

“It is most disturbing that death becomes the price of claiming one’s rights,” De Guia said.

The DAR has launched an investigation of the killings.

Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones said he was sending a task force to Hacienda Nene to investigate, including reports that the plantation had avoided agrarian reform coverage. —REPORTS FROM JAYMEE T. GAMIL, JULIE M. AURELIO, JHESSET O. ENANO, JEANNETTE I. ANDRADE, DJ YAP, MELVIN GASCON AND CARLA P. GOMEZ

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MOST READ</s>BACOLOD CITY-Nine members of the National Federation of Sugarcane Workers, two of them minors, were killed on a farm in Sagay City in Negros Occidental about 9:45 p.m. on Saturday.

Senior Supt. Rodolfo Castil , Negros Occidental police director, said the victims were killed by about 40 unidentified armed men in Purok Firetree, Barangay Bulanon, Sagay.

Eglicerio Villegas, 36; Jomarie Ughayon Jr., 17; Marchtel Sumicad, 17; Angelipe Arsenal, Dodong Laurencio, Morena Mendoza, Necnec Dumaguit, Bingbing Bantigue and one identified only as Pater— all of Sagay City.

Initial investigation disclosed that agricultural farm owned by Carmen Tolentino situated in Hacienda Nene Purok Firetree was occupied by members of NFSW in the morning of Saturday after It was being harvested by the owner, Castil said.

While the members of NFSW were resting in their improvised shelter inside of hacienda about 9:30 p.m., about 40 unidentified armed men fired at the group, he said.

 Investigation still going on, he added.</s>Dozens of armed men allegedly fired at the farmers inside Hacienda Nene on Saturday night, October 20

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – At least 9 farmers were killed after they were fired upon by some 40 armed men at Hacienda Nene in Barangay Bulanon, Sagay City, here on Saturday night, October 20.

The fatalities, who included 4 women and 2 minors, belonged to the National Federation of Sugar Workers.

Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil Jr, director of the Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office, said the farmers had occupied the farm owned by a certain Carmen Tolentino on Saturday morning, after the owner had harvested her crops.

While the farmers were resting at their makeshift shelter, the gunmen shot them dead.

Police identified the victims as Eglicerio Villegas, Angelipe Arsenal, alias Pater, Dodong Laurencio, Morena Mendoza, Necnec Dumaguit, Bingbing Bantigue, 17-year-old Jomarie Ughayon Jr, and 17-year-old Marchtel Sumicad, all residents of Sagay City.

Castil said an investigation is underway. – Rappler.com</s>MANILA — Armed men opened fire on a group of sugar cane farmers who were occupying part of a plantation in the central Philippines, killing nine, and then set three of the bodies on fire, the police said Sunday.

Four other farmers, two of them minors, survived the attack late Saturday on a plantation outside the city of Sagay in Negros Occidental Province and were under police protection as commandos pursued the attackers, the police said.

Those who were killed were members of a farmers’ union, the National Federation of Sugarcane Workers, who began occupying the area over the weekend as part of a campaign to begin cultivating land covered by a government agrarian overhaul, the police said. The state program, which dates to the 1980s, calls for redistributing private and public agricultural land to independent small farmers.

The vacant plot they had occupied belongs to Hacienda Nene, a vast sugar cane plantation, which has been subject to the government land program, rights workers and the farmers’ group said.</s>In the 15 days since the Centre intervened directly to help farmers in Punjab get the minimum support price (MSP) for their cotton crop, not one of the state’s 2 lakh farmers has responded — they have instead chosen to continue to sell to their traditional buyers, the arhatiyas or commission agents, at prices well below the MSP. Why have Punjab’s cotton farmers snubbed Cotton Corporation of India (CCI), the marketing support agency for kapaas under the Union Ministry of Textiles?

On October 6, CCI entered the market to buy narma (raw cotton) directly from farmers at the MSP, and thus help reduce their dependence on arhatiyas. Areas were marked out for CCI in all the state’s cotton mandis. Cotton farmers, however, did not respond. At mandis where officials tried to persuade farmers to sell their crop to CCI directly, both farmers and arhatiyas protested; on October 12, arhatiyas organised protests at all mandis.

Farmers have long complained that the MSP is only on paper, and they don’t actually get that price when they sell. CCI chose to enter the market to purchase directly from farmers when market rates were close to the MSP; if the rates fell subsequently, it would be CCI’s responsibility to buy at full MSP as per the quality parameters of the crop.

The government has fixed an MSP of Rs 5,150 per quintal for medium staple (less than 27 mm fibre), and Rs 5,450/quintal for long staple (27.5-33 mm fibre) cotton. Punjab grows mostly the long staple variety (fibre 27.5-28.5 mm), the MSP for which has been fixed at Rs 5,330/quintal narma, as per figures with CCI. On Saturday, the rate at Abohar mandi, the largest in the region, were far lower than the MSP — Rs 5,150/quintal narma. At Fazilka mandi, the rate was Rs 5,050/quintal. Rates at mandis are fixed daily in auctions conducted by arhatiyas. Rates are low because moisture levels in the crop are high — up to 15-18%. This is well above the specified limit of 8-12%, after which the price starts to fall.

The reason for farmers’ lack of enthusiasm about CCI lie in the social structures of rural Punjab, in which the arhatiyas and farmers share a close transactional relationship. Farmers say dealing with CCI is fraught with the risk of upsetting the arhatiyas, who might not be willing to help them in the future. Farmers depend on arhatiyas for small loans for cropping operations and personal needs, which they find more convenient than approaching a bank for a loan. Also, several farmers at Abohar mandi said, selling to CCI requires registration and submission of documents such as Aadhaar and bank account details. The entire crop is checked thoroughly for moisture content, and the MSP is reduced according to readings of the moisture meter. Even then, the money might take a week or longer to come into the farmer’s hands, whereas the arhatiya pays immediately.

There are about 26,500 licensed arhatiyas in Punjab, who control the crop of over 11 lakh farmers who mainly cultivate paddy, wheat, and cotton. Each arhatiya deals with between 20 and 200 farmers. The lives and economic wellbeing of the arhatiyas are often linked to those of the farmers. Arhatiyas earn interest on the credit they offer to farmers in need of cash, and a commission of 2.5% per quintal on the crop they supply to buyers. Also, many arhatiyas are farmers themselves. They are Jat Sikhs, as opposed to Banias or Punjabi Khatris/Aroras. These arhatiyas are bigger farmers who aggregate the produce of smaller farmers, who take loans from them.

“Not a single farmer has registered with the CCI for direct selling of their crop. We wanted to purchase from the farmers in case the rate falls low against the fixed MSP, but we cannot force them to sell to us,” Brijesh Kasana, general manager of the CCI’s Bathinda office, said.

Punjab, one of the top 10 cotton-producing states of the country, is expected to produce some 9 lakh bales of cotton (1 bale equals 170 kg) this year. In Punjab, Haryana and North Rajasthan (mainly Sriganganagar and Hanumangarh districts), the first pickings of kapaas (raw in-ginned cotton containing both the lint fibre and seeds) starts around end-September. Farmers usually go for three pickings, one following the other in 15-20 days, so that harvesting is completed by early November, which allows farmers to then plant wheat. In Gujarat, Maharashtra, etc, pickings start around mid-October.

For all the latest Explained News, download Indian Express App</s>Expectations of a bumper maize yield this season is posing a nightmare to North Rift farmers, who are worried about storage.

ALSO READ: Diversification of crops will improve diet and income

Even before the long-running challenges, including delayed payments, are fully resolved, there is fear that thousands of bags of maize could go to waste as National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) stores are full.

The farmers are still holding substantial stocks of last season's maize that was locked out by NCPB due to lack of storage.

Already, farmers say weevils and rodents have invaded their stores.

A spot check in parts of the North Rift indicated active maize harvesting amid heavy rains.

Stay informed while on the go by subscribing to the Standard Group SMS service. Text the word 'NEWS' to 22840.

“I still have 5,000 bags, each weighing 90kg, in my store in Uasin Gishu and another 1,100 in Trans Nzoia. These remained after NCPB shut its stores before I exhaustively delivered my last year’s harvest of more than 10,000 bags,” said Christopher Cheruiyot, a farmer from Moiben in Uasin Gishu County.

Mr Cheruiyot, who was busy harvesting the current season's maize, said he sun-dried the maize in his compound. He covers the harvested maize with polythene paper when it rains.

ALSO READ: Sh3 billion for subsidised fertilizer lost at NCPB

“Because of the favourable conditions throughout the year, I expect to harvest about 15,000 bags of maize this season. I have already harvested 10 acres but I face a great challenge of storage since my store is full of last season’s grain,” said Cheruiyot.

He told The Standard he had spent a substantial amount on pesticides to control weevils.

“The Government should be considerate to farmers, open NCPB depots and keep farmers' produce to avoid post-harvest losses. We toil in producing food and it is unfair if left to go to waste,” said Cheruiyot.

Jackson Kwambai, a farmer from Moiben, said he had 200 bags of last season’s crop, adding that like most farmers in the region, he had to keep the current season's harvest in the open for lack of storage.

“We spent heavily on pesticides to prevent losses. There are, however, emerging pests, including one commonly referred to as ‘osama’ that is resistant to pesticides,” said Mr Kwambai.

He said the Government should empower farmers by stopping imports from Mexico, South Africa and America.

Kwambai regretted that the Government sourced the staple food externally, yet local farmers had their produce "rotting".

ALSO READ: The price of maize falls as harvest time nears

About three weeks ago, local farmers in a memorandum presented to a Senate joint committee on maize crisis, co-chaired by Margaret Kamar (Uasin Gishu) and Moses Wetang'ula (Bungoma) in Eldoret, said producers still held about 500,000 bags each. This is from last year’s harvests.

Projections by the Kenya Farmers Association (KFA) puts expected maize harvests in the current season at 46 million bags each weighing 90kgs.

The State is yet to pay farmers Sh2.1 billion for grain deliveries to National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) in last year’s crop.

David Sang, another farmer, said legislators should press for policies that would make agribusiness thrive.

“Farmers should be told by authorities the rations to be bought through NCPB at every start of the season. We should know the market dynamics so that we can plan well,” said Sang.

He said delays in paying for maize produce taken by the State would frustrate farmers who relied on the sub-sector to educate their children and to meet other basic needs such as health.</s>Saturday is the launch of the Orland Farmers Market, which will run from 8 a.m. to noon at Library Park.

The Willows Farmers Market will run 4-7 p.m. every Wednesday at Memorial Park.</s>The Krishi Vigyan Kendra (KVK) at Booh village in Tarn Taran district of Punjab , under the Guru Angad Dev Veterinary & Animal Sciences University of Ludhiana and supported by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Atari zone 1, has been working with farmers in the region to impart technical knowledge and promote agricultural technologies. Balwinder Kumar, deputy director of KVK, tells Ishani Duttagupta about the different programmes the kendra uses to help farmers avoid stubble burning . Edited excerpts:We started counselling farmers in Booh Havelien and Jauneke villages (Tarn Taran district) in June. The message was very strong — no burning paddy residue in the fields. We have reached out to over 2,000 farmers, who plough over 1,500 acres, directly through this programme and we are certain that over 90% of them will not burn stubble in their fields this season.We have been organising farmers’ melas in the district. We make sure that the machines used to clear the stubble are provided at 10-15% discount by the companies. However, this region has medium to very small and marginal farmers and some of them have small land holdings. To help small and marginal farmers, KVK has acquired equipment that we rent out at nominal costs and sometimes even free. The stubble burning season has already started in this region and most of the farmers are using paddy wastes to make animal fodder.This is a district which is close to the international border and life is tough for people here. Farmers have not received much education and training on crop rotation , less dependency on paddy and use of machinery. We are trying to change and hope to expand to many more villages soon.</s>WILLOWS — The Glenn County Certified Farmers Market will be moving downtown starting today.

The farmers market will be at Butte and Sycamore streets, relocating from Memorial Park, which has been plagued by egrets and herons again.

The market runs from 4 to 7 p.m.

The Orland farmers market will remain at Library Park, running every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon.
Unidentified armed men shoot and kill nine sugarcane farmers in Sagay, Negros Occidental, Philippines.