City Council forms committee to probe farmers-Fusilero row

CEBU, Philippines - The City Council yesterday formed an ad hoc committee that would investigate the looming unrest in some mountain barangays owing to the conflict between residents and retired Police General Tiburcio Fusilero.

The ad hoc committee is chaired by Councilor Augustus Pe, chairman of the Council’s committee on peace and order. The members of the ad hoc committee include Councilors Jose Daluz III, Richard Osmeña, Nestor Archival, Edu Rama, Eugenio Faelnar and Roberto Cabarubias.

Lawyers from the Office of the City Attorney will form the committee secretariat.

The committee aims to conduct an extensive fact finding inquiry on the matters raised by residents of some mountain barangays covered by the Memorandum of Agreement between the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Fusilero for a reforestation project in the mountain barangays.

Farmers of barangay Tabunan sought assistance from Mayor Tomas Osmeña after Fusilero allegedly harassed them. They cited an instance when armed men allegedly barged into the house of a farmer in sitio Cantipla.

The farmers are backed by the Central Visayas Farmers Development Center Inc.

Fusilero, however, said it was actually the farmers that allegedly harassed the reforestation project. He said the police blotter would even show that his caretakers were the ones attacked by angry farmers with bolos in the bunkhouse, forcing them to fire warning shots.

Fusilero said his aim is mainly to protect the watershed areas for reforestation and prevent the illegal selling of land.

But Osmeña assured to help the farmers and even moved for the cancellation of the MOA should it be found out that the residents are long time voters of the city. He even assured the residents that a police outpost composed of members they themselves will choose would be put up in the area for their protection. — Ferliza C. Contratista/JMO (THE FREEMAN)