7 Negros Oriental armed farmers surrender to Sinas; turn over firearms
The seven firearms surrendered by farmers to Police Brig. Gen. Debold Sinas, Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) director, are put on display following the surrender held in Guihulngan, Negros Oriental on Sept. 28, 2019.| CDND Photo/Florence Baesa
GUIHULNGAN, Negros Oriental — Seven members of a farmers’ organization in Vallehermoso, Negros Oriental surrendered last Saturday, September 28, to Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) director Police Brigadier General Debold Sinas during a dialogue in Barangay Buenavista, Guihulngan City.
The farmers also turned over their illegal firearms to the authorities.
However, Sinas requested not to divulge the identities of the surrenderers.
The surrendered firearms were as follows: one KG9 sumpak, a shotgun, one cal. 45 pistol, one cal. 22 and four pieces of 38 caliber guns.
The firearms are now in the custody of Police Colonel Rizalito Gapas, acting provincial director of the Negros Oriental Provincial Police Office ( NOPPO).
The surrenderers are members of a farmers organization called Bagawines, Ulay, Kabulihan Farmers Association (BUCFA). An organization of Certificate Landowners Award or CLOA beneficiaries of Hacienda Leila of Vallehermoso owned by the Lopez family.
One of the surrenderees said that the land they occupied has not been divided and distributed to the farmer beneficiaries, which resulted to friction and chaos among its members. Some of the members armed themselves for protection.
According to Malaya (not her real name), after the friction among the member-farmers erupted another farmers group that allegedly has linked with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) intervened and promised to settle the dispute among the farmers.
However, the leader of BUCFA became a subject of a search warrant for illegal possession of firearms. The raid was positive and after six months in prison, the leader of BUCFA posted bail.
It was the leader of BUCFA who convinced the members to surrender their firearms to authorities, according to Malaya.
Sinas has directed Gapas to process the surrenderers’ reintegration to mainstream society./elb
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