A sargeant from the 15th Infantry Battalion harassed palm oil-affected farmers and Indigenous Peoples in Candoni, Negros Occidental during a meeting on August 13, and searched for a local development worker previously red-tagged by the military, rights groups said.
According to the September 21 Movement South Negros and the Human Rights Advocates Negros (HRAN) in separate statements, Master Sgt. Castor of the 15th IB’s Civil Military Operations unit abruptly entered a farmers’ gathering in Barangay Caningay and questioned who organized it without clearance from the barangay and municipal government.
He allegedly claimed it was led by “illegal persons,” naming Jose “Tongtong” Macapobre, a Paghidaet sa Kauswagan Development Group Inc. (PDG) organizer from Cauayan, and his companion, without presenting evidence.
Sgt. Castro also reportedly told the farmers not to post about the incident on social media.
Save Tablas, an alliance of farmers and Indigenous Peoples in Candoni, condemned what it called a malicious search for Macapobre, saying he had long been a supporter of their struggle to defend lands from Hacienda Asia Plantations Inc. (HAPI)’s palm oil expansion.
The group said Macapobre had helped them understand their rights and organize peaceful resistance against land grabbing, and noted that the 15th IB and Castor had previously harassed PDG staff, including Macapobre and fellow organizer Perla Jaleco, in Cauayan.
“Ang sini nga klase sang pagpangita indi lang paglapas sa kinamatarung sang isa ka organisador, kundi nga sundan sang mas mabug-at nga pagpang-atake pareho sang pagpangdakop, pagpangharas, kag bisan pagpamatay,” the group warned, saying such military “searches” are often precursors to worse attacks.
The disrupted meeting was part of a consultation with farmers and IPs from Barangay Gatuslao on continuing land grabbing and environmental destruction linked to HAPI, a Consunji group subsidiary developing over 6,000 hectares for oil palm plantations.
Locals say the Php2-billion project will displace more than 1,000 families and has proceeded with earth-moving despite the issuance of an Environmental Compliance Certificate.
“The militarization of communities of Candoni and Ilog and the threats and intimidations of farmers and IP leaders who stood up against the destructive project of HAPI oil palm is increasing. The Philippine Army is now used as “goons” and security of the company during the bulldozing of farmlands,” HRAN said in their statement.
“The farmers were dismayed because instead of the military guiding them on what should be done and helping them as they had hoped, they were the ones harassed and treated as illegal,” the September 21 Movement said in a statement.
HRAN reminded Castor that the rights to form associations, seek redress of grievances, and assemble are guaranteed under the 1987 Constitution and Article 22 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The groups called on the Commission on Human Rights to investigate Castor, for the military to pull out units encamped in communities in Candoni and Ilog, and for soldiers and police to stop interfering in farmers’ activities.
Paghimutad 