4 farmers hurt as Bukidnon campus guards open fire at protesters

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Four farmers were wounded when armed security personnel hired by the state-run Central Mindanao University in Maramag, Bukidnon stormed their picket line outside the campus Tuesday morning, a non-government organization said.

The Amihan Northern Mindanao Region, one of the NGOs that have been helping the protesting farmers, said in a statement the incident occurred 10 a.m.

Angel Pat Marzon of Amihan said the farmers, belonging to the Buffalo-Tamaraw-Limus (BTL) Farmers Association; and BTL Women’s Association, were camped outside the CMU campus when at least 15 armed CMU guards fired at them.

Marzon said farmers Billy Jardin, Gregorio Santillan and Larry de Vera were rushed to a hospital for gunshot wounds. Another farmer, identified as Weni Loable, was wounded when her eye was hit by a rock, she added.

Marzon identified the head of the security personnel as Nestor Honasan of Chevron Security Agency.

“They mercilessly fired at the farmers and beat up those near them,” Marzon said.

Marzon said the farmers have been protesting their forced eviction from the 400-hectare land inside CMU, which their families had been tilling for more than 30 years.

The Department of Agrarian Reform even issued certificates of land ownership (Cloas) in 1992 but the said agency later revoked it.

The farmers eventually entered into a five-year lease contract with CMU, which stated that they would not be forced out of the land even after its expiration 2007.

Marzon said the CMU management reneged on the agreement on the non-eviction of the farmers and forced them to be relocated to San Fernando town.

The Asian Rural Women’s Coalition said that the action of the CMU was clearly a form of “harassment and human rights violations.”

“We condemn the harassment and human rights violations perpetrated by the Central Mindanao University as means of forcing the BTL women and men farmers to leave their farm-lots and prohibiting them from continuing to till the lands. The ARWC expresses its support to the women and men peasants who remain to be vigilant and courageous, despite the odds, in fighting for their rights to their land, livelihood and life,” Marjo Busto Quinto of the ARWC said.

The ARWC recently launched an online campaign that aims to win more support for the farmers.