BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Members of four farmer associations, who used to be affiliated with the National Federation of Sugarcane Workers in Brgy. E Lopez, Silay City, Negros Occidental, strongly denounced violence and atrocities committed by the New People’s Army in their respective communities.
Brig. Gen. Inocencio Pasaporte, 303rd Infantry Brigade commander, disclosed that members of the Hda. Cumabat Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (HACUARBA), Hda. Mariano–D Farmers and Farm Workers Association (HAMADFFWA); Hda. Vista Alegre Farmers and Farm Workers Association (HAVAFFWA); and Hda. Gretchen Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (HAGARBA) marched along the thoroughfares of their barangay on October 2, carrying placards with messages that earnestly called on NPA and its allies to stop terrorism in their communities.
The encounter on August 20 in Hacienda Raymunda, Brgy. E Lopez in Silay City, claimed the lives of Kerima Lorena Tariman, secretary of the dismantled Northern Negros Front, and her colleague, and the death of an Army soldier.
Pasaporte said that the farmers also burned the CPP-NPA replica flags, as a show of support to the government.
Before the condemnation rally, Pasaporte said that farmers have also withdrawn their membership and support to the NFSW.*
