Pig farm owner seeks dialogue with NPA, military, workers

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Philippines – The owner of a pig farm in Libona, Bukidnon whose hogs were killed by the New People’s Army last week has called for a dialogue with his workers, the military and a representative of the NPA.

Mega Farm owner See Hong said the dialogue would try to address salary grievances among his workers that the NPA said was the reason why they attacked the farm.

He said his piggery and poultry farm resumed operations on Saturday although the workforce constitutes only 60 percent of the total number.

Last Wednesday, NPA fighters disarmed the security guards of the farm, burned some property, and shot dead more than 50 pigs and wounded about 500 more.

Capt. Christian Uy, spokesman for the Philippine Army 4th Infantry Division based in neighboring Cagayan de Oro City, said the NPA group that attacked Mega Farm was the same group that recently attacked the Agrinanas agricultural business in the same municipality and the Del Monte plant in neighboring Manolo Fortich.

He also said that the NPA fighters in Bukidnon belong to same group in Misamis Oriental, and the military has continued its pursuit operations against the rebels in their suspected areas of consolidation.

Uy earlier said that the NPA could have staged the attack because of the collection of “revolutionary taxes.”