Aloguinsan land dispute Agencies warned against meeting communist fronts

CEBU, Philippines - Anakpawis Partylist Rep. Rafael Mariano is set to meet the concerned government agencies and farmers on the disputed land in Aloguinsan, but the Regional Peace and Order Council-7 has warned government agencies against dealing with legal fronts of the communist.

The RPOC warning came after Marina Viniegas, representative of the Department of Agriculture, told the body during the meeting yesterday about their scheduled meeting with Mariano on Friday.

Department of Agrarian Reform-7 director Rodolfo Inson also confirmed the scheduled meeting.

Col. John Bonafos of the 802nd Brigade of the Central Command, in his situationer report before the body, mentioned the case in Aloguinsan which he claimed to have been capitalized and exploited by some sectoral groups to gain sympathy.

“The land dispute issue in Aloguinsan is being capitalized and exploited by sectoral groups to gain sympathy which will be followed by recruitment activities,” Bonafos said.

He did not mention the group but Bonafos said, “this sectoral organization will continue to exploit any issue in their attempt to arouse, organized and mobilized the masses.”

This prompted Viniegas to inquire the body regarding its stand when they are invited by Anakpawis purportedly to conduct investigation of the case of 39 farmers who were earlier held and are facing charges in court.

“We have to hear first from our side before their side because we do not want to be used,” Viniegas said.

Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia expressed her appreciation for bringing the issue before the RPOC as she warned other government agencies because of the difficulty in identifying the enemy that is being used as legal front of the communist.

“It was easy to identify the enemy when it carried a gun. It is more difficult when they come to you in smiling faces or even pious faces supposedly advocating a most worthy cause,” Garcia said.

Police Regional Office 7 Director Ager Ontog, who sits as RPOC vice chairman, said he will send his provincial commander to brief DA on what had happened in Aloguinsan for them to be guided during the meeting with Anakpawis.

Inson also said that he will be meeting his staff today to make them ready for the meeting with the people from Manila.

“We have made our next action, they will be coming on Friday to talk to us and we are ready,” Inson told reporters.

Aside from DA and DAR, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is also involved in the case, Inson added. –(FREEMAN)