The management of the disputed 20-hectare property at Hacienda San Antonio Dos in Barangay Dos Hermanas, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, is offering a P10,000 reward for the arrest of the man who fired a gun at agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARB) last month.
“Jose Alonsaga, the supposed security guard who allegedly threatened the daughter of an ARB by firing a gun in front of her, is in no way connected to our company,” Robert Torres, lawyer of the Hacienda San Antonio Dos management, said Thursday, Feb. 13,
They urge the Talisay City PNP to hasten his arrest and to expedite the investigation in order to expose his motive, Torres added.
The disputed 20-hectare property in Hacienda San Antonio Dos is now again legally owned by Paul Chang, after the 15 ARBs approached him and sold to him the property, he said.
They sold the property back to Chang through separate notarized Sales of Rights on separate dates between November 2013 and November 2016, Torres said.
Lands acquired by ARBs through CARP may be sold after 10 years from their installation on the land, Torres added.
Task Force Mapalad (TFM) earlier said that the property was not sold but leased to Chang.
“The leaseholder Chang has no more rights as his lease contract expired and proposals for extension were rejected by the CLOA (Certificate of Land Ownership Award) holders”, it added.
Torres said they have documents to prove that the ARBs sold the land to Chang.
In light of the recent events that transpired at Hacienda San Antonio Dos management was issuing clarifications to correct misinformation circulating in traditional and social media, Torres said.
The 15 protesting ARBs are among the 26 ARBs who received CLOAs in 2001 for a 50-hectare property originally owned by Chang, Torres said
They, however, sold the disputed 20-hectares back to Chang, he pointed out.
“The 15 ARBs are the ones resorting to and instigating violence in Hacienda San Antonio Dos,” Torres also said.
TFM earlier said that the ARBs were being harassed and subjected to continuing threats and violence.
Torres, in turn, alleged that the ARBs cut and set fire to sugarcane owned by Chang.
“They also threw stones and caused damage to two houses of our personnel and our community chapel. In many instances, these ARBs hurled big rocks and threw urine and human feces upon our personnel, which is why the management saw the need to hire security to secure its personnel and property,” Torres said.
The management has filed cases before the courts against “several perpetrators of violence against our company, and the management reserves its rights to institute further actions as necessary,” he added.
They urge authorities to uphold law and order, and protect legitimate business transactions, Torres said.
He thanked the public for being circumspect in the stories they read or watch in the media, and to avoid falling victim to fake news.*