Murder raps filed vs Capiz village chief for farmer’s slay

The wake for Orlando Eslana was held at the tent put up by land beneficiaries who have occupied a dispute land in Capiz (Contributed photo)

ILOILO CITY—Police have filed a murder and frustrated murder complaint against a village chief and several others for the Feb. 11 killing of a land beneficiary and the wounding of four others in Capiz province.

In a complaint filed before the Capiz Provincial Prosecutor’s Office on Feb. 23, the President Roxas town police tagged Barangay (village) Captain Ferdinand Bacanto of Culilang in the killing of Orlando Eslana and the wounding of Melinda Eslana-Arroyo, Ana Bocala, Nida Amo and Adel Vergara.

Also named respondents were Leopoldo Lachica, Morito Vega, John Manuel Bacanto, Christopher Bacanto and several unidentified persons.

Ferdinand Bacanto, administrator of the disputed land owned by the family of Nemesio Tan, earlier said the land beneficiaries started the violence when Eslana tried to hack Lachica and wounded Lachica’s daughter Jesery Lachica.

But he said he did not see who shot the land beneficiaries.

Eslana died of multiple gunshot wounds in the back in a confrontation by the group of land beneficiaries with workers and relatives of Bacanto at Barangay Culilang.

READ: Attack on farmers’ group leaves one dead, four wounded in Capiz

He was buried on Saturday after a wake held under a large tent put up by the beneficiaries at the disputed land in Barangay Dulangan in the neighboring town of Pilar.

Arroyo is still in serious condition due to a bullet wound in the head while the three other beneficiaries were hit in the arms and legs.

They were among about 60 farmers issued with Certificates of Land Ownership Award in 1998 covering 198 hectares who have been occupying a three-hectare area that is part of Tan’s property.

They said they occupied the property since Feb. 6 due to the failure of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to install them as owners 19 years after they were given titles.

Bacanto has insisted that the land beneficiaries have no right to occupy the property because of an injunction issued by the Roxas City, Capiz Regional Trial Court RTC in 2000 which bars the DAR from installing the beneficiaries.

The RTC Branch 18 presided over by Judge Ignacio Alajar on Feb. 16 issued a writ of amparo against Bacanto and other respondents to protect land beneficiaries.

In the two-page order, Alajar barred Bacanto and other respondents from “doing acts intended to harm the (land beneficiaries) or threaten their security.”

The court also directed the Western Visayas director of the Philippine National Police to provide assistance to the beneficiaries.

“Careful evaluation of the allegations of the petition reveals that the lives of the petitioners are in danger by reason of the recent incidents that transpired in Hacienda Montecarbo,” according to the court order. JE/rga