Malacañang condemns Negros hacienda massacre

Presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo

Malacañang condemned “in the strongest way possible” the killing of nine sugarcane workers in Sagay City, Negros Occidental.

“We condemn in the strongest possible terms the reported deaths of sugar workers in Sagay City, Negros Occidental,” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said in a statement on Sunday night.

“The Palace is deeply perturbed to learn about the incident and the Philippine National Police (PNP) has already been ordered to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation on this dastardly act,” he added.

Panelo noted that the Office of the President adhered “to the principle that the right to life shall remain unthreatened by proprietary interests, and this extends to agrarian settings.”

He promised that “families of the victims of this extremely cruel act can count on the government that it will enforce the full wrath of the law against its perpetrators.”

According to the police, the victims, including 4 women and 2 minors, were resting on Saturday night in a makeshift tent when at least 40 armed men shot them inside Hacienda Nene in Barangay Bulanon, Sagay City.

READ: 9 sugarcane workers gunned down in Negros Occidental

The victims were identified as Eglicerio Cambannga Villegas, 36; Angeliffa Dumaguit Arsenal, 47; Paterno Baroy, 48; Rene Laurencio Sr.; Morena Mendoza, 48; Marcelina Dumaguit; Rommel Bantigue, 41; Jomarie Oghayon, 16, and Marchtel Sumicad, 17, all of Sagay.

They were members of the Negros Federation of Sugar Workers. /cbb