Is Our Land for Food or War?

We are living in the most turbulent of times and have become victims of the fallacies of life amidst moral collapse. There are times when we are confronted with some puzzling questions and never have these questions been responded to or brought to the fore, not even by the mainstream media. Worse there are painful realities that are kept hidden especially if bringing out the truth will not serve the interest of those in power.

The first painful offense happened in Sitio Kibaritan in Barangay Malinao, Kalilangan, Bukidnon on March 25, 2016, which caused the death of three innocent children. No less than the Vice President of the Kibaritan Higaonon St. Peter Agriculture Cooperative, Mr. Eddie Raymond had witnessed the death of the three children and the wounding of one more when an Unidentified Explosive Ordnance (UXO) planted by the military in the firing range near the Elementary School exploded when the children were playing in the vicinity. When the father of the victims came after the explosion, Mr. Reymond narrated the shock and so much anguish suffered by the father, Mr. Delio Waminal, upon seeing one of his children already dead and dis-membered and attending to another son, 15 yr.-old Delmar Waminal, who was still breathing but in the brink of death with parts of his dismembered body scattered with no more feet and hands and begging his father to end his pain. As narrated by Mr. Raymond: “Wala ng hihigit pa sa pagdurusa na dinamdam ng isang ama na pinupulot isat-isa ang mga kumalat na bahagi ng katawan ng anak na nasabogan ng UXO at patuloy ang tulo ng luha at sumisigaw na “BAKIT NAGKAGANITO ANG MAHAL KONG MGA ANAK.”

That question should be asked to those military officials who have transformed the community into a military reservation and converted an area near the Elementary School as a “firing range.” Sitio Kibaritan had long before such proclamation already existed as a community with an Elementary School, a daycare center, and a Chapel, and hundreds of families have already been occupying the Sitio as settler-farmers, some even as early as the 1950s and therefore have already acquired prior rights. Declaring the 195-ha.-an area within the military reservation is contrary to the pronouncement of several agencies of government, i.e. DAR & DENR. Such was reinforced by the LGU Committee Report headed then by Vice Mayor now the honorable Mayor Raymon Charl Gamboa stating that “it is so dangerous to make the community a military reservation as such will put the community in danger if there will be an attack.” No attack happened. Only the explosion of a UXO caused the death of three, and the wounding of one child which is apparently due to the glaring negligence of those who planted the UXO in the vicinity without proper warning. SILA PO AY NAGTATANONG, BAKIT HINDI MAN LANG NILAGYAN NG WARNING SIGNS, BAKIT HINDI NA CLEAR ANG AREA NAGING DAHILAN NG PAGKAMATAY NG TATLONG BATA AT DALAWANG NASUGATAN? Several questions have been raised but until now, no answer has been given.

These are some of the questions. Why convert the 195 ha.-area community as part of the 46 thousand hectares- military reservation when the occupants have already acquired prior rights in violation of Executive Order 75 signed by then President Duterte in 2019 which ‘DIRECTS ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, BUREAUS, OFFICES AND INSTRUMENTALITIES DEVOTED OR SUITABLE FOR AGRICULTURE FOR DISTRIBUTION TO QUALIFIED BENEFICIARIES. They are puzzled no end why they are denied their ownership of the land despite the declaration from the DAR and the DENR that the 195 of land is within the A & D area. Why did the AFP allow that part of an area just a few meters away from the Elementary School to be converted into a firing range and even plant UXO in the area without giving any warning to the community? Or a simple notice or a signboard prohibiting entry. Why?

Their appeal to His Excellency categorically stated that such conversion of the 195 hectares was part of the 46,000-ha. military reservation is contrary to Presidential Proclamation 188 signed on June 29, 1950 by then President of the Philippines Elpidio Quirino stating to “reserve for rice and corn and other food production purposes certain parcels of public domain,” especially their 195 hectares of land that they have been tilling for more than 50 years now.

In their appeal to His Excellency, they said, “SA NGAYON PO AY PINAAALIS KAMI NG MGA MILITARY SA AMING LUGAR NA MAYROON NA PONG PAARALAN SINCE 1984 PA, MAY SIMBAHAN, AT ITO PO AY ISANG KOMUNIDAD, DAHIL AYON SA KANILA ANG LUPANG 195 EKTARYA AY ISANG MILITARY RESERVATION. IPINAGKAIT NG MGA MILITARY PERSONNEL ANG AMING KARAPATAN. KINUHA SA MGA MAGSASAKA ANG LUPANG SINASAKA NA HINDI IDINADAAN SA TAMANG PROSESO. BASTA LANG PINAAALIS, AT KINUKUHANAN NG PANGKABUHAYAAN, AT HUMANTONG PA SA PANANAKOT, PANANAJKIT AT PANINIGAW NG MGA MILITARY PERSONNEL SA MGA MAGSASAKA/MAMAMAYAN NG SITIO KIBARITAN. SIGAW SA AMIN NG COMMANDING OFFICER NA SI COL. CIRIACO A. LOMAS-E, “MATAGAL NA KAYONG NAKINABANG SA LUPANG PAGMAMAY-ARI NG MILITARY, ANG TITIGAS NG ULO NINYO, MABUTI PA MAGREBELDE NA LANG KAYO!”

Ang tanong po ng mga probreng magsasaka na inagawan ng lupa. “KUNG MILITARY RESERVATION NGA, BAKIT ANG MGA MILILTARY PERSONNEL ANG NAGTANIM NG MAIS AT PALAY AT SILA ANG NAKINABANG AT ANG MGA KAWAWANG MAGSASAKA ANG NAWALAN NG PANGKABUHAYAN MULA PA NOONG 2008. ANG AMING TANIM NA TUBO AY PINAPUTOL PA NG COMMANDING OFFICER NA SI COL. LOMAS-E. ANG MGA KAMOTE, KAMOTENG- KAHOY AY PINA GRIDDER NA DAPAT SANA AY NAKATULONG SA AMIN NA MAIBSAN ANG KAGUTOMAN LALO NA SA KINAKAHARAP NATIN ANG KRISIS SA PANAHON NGAYON. ANG DAANAN PA MULA ‘FARM TO MARKET ROAD’ AY HINDI NA MADADAANAN. HINDI PALA MILITARY RESERVATION ANG LUPA DAHIL SILA NA ANG NAKINABANG. ANONG MILITARY RESERVATION GAYONG SILA PO ANG NAKINABANG, IBINULSA NILA ANG KITA SA LUPANG SAKAHAN NA SILA ANG NAGTANIM. GINAWA LAMANG ALIBI NA MILITARY RESERVATION AREA ANG LUPA DITO SA SITIO KIBARITAN.

It has been said that in this country, no one is above the law, all must bow down to the majesty of the law because we follow the rule of law and not of men. Apparently, the rule of law has not been followed but the rule of power, money and guns. Pity the poor farmers in Sitio Kibaritan. If further investigation is needed, they are willing to cooperate. As shouted to them by Col. Lomas-e, “Ang titigas ng mga ulo ninyo. Mabuti pa, mag rebelde na lang kayo.” Ang tanong po nila, bakit parang hinihikayat sila na mag rebelde? Yan ba ay sumasang-ayon sa ELCAC (End Local Communist Attack Council Program ng gobyerno?

With all due respect, the 500 Kibaritan farmers are asking these puzzling questions directly to His Excellency which have to be responded to. WHY? WHY WHY? They are victims of social injustice and oppression which is contrary to the constitutional mandate “that the State shall promote social justice in all phases of development.” Where is social justice? Has not the 1987 constitution also declared that “NO PERSON SHALL BE DEPRIVED OF LIFE, LIBERTY AND PROPERTY WITHOUT DUE PROCESS OF LAW!” The death of three children without anyone being made accountable violated such a constitutional provision!