• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Hacienda San Antonio Dos Management in Brgy. Dos Hermanas, Talisay City, Negros Occidental, is offering a P10,000 reward for the immediate arrest of a security guard, who allegedly threatened the daughter of an agrarian reform beneficiary in the hacienda.
The offer for the cash reward was announced Thursday, Feb. 13, by Atty. Robert Torres, counsel for the Hacienda San Antonio Dos Management.
In a video that circulated on social media, a man identified later by the Talisay City police as Jose Alonsaga, was shown pointing a gun at a woman before firing a shot to the ground.
The video clip sparked outrage on social media.
As the management offered a reward for the arrest of Alonsaga, Torres said they are calling on the Talisay City police to expedite the apprehension of the suspect.
The incident stemmed from a land dispute between 15 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) and landowner Paul Chang, involving about 20 hectares of land in Hacienda San Antonio Dos, Brgy. Dos Hermanas, Talisay City.
According to Torres, the 15 ARBs are among the original 26 ARBs who received Certificates of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs) in 2001 for a 50-hectare property originally owned by Chang.
He said the 20.246-hectare property is legally owned by Chang after the 15 ARBs sold it to him for P3,926,000.
He said the transaction was covered by separate notarized “Sales of Rights” between November 2013 and November 2016.
Torres added that lands acquired by ARBs through CARP (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program) may be sold 10 years after their installation on the property.
The legal counsel also said that the 15 ARBs who sold their land to Chang are the ones resorting to and instigating violence in Hacienda San Antonio Dos.
Torres said that there were reports of the 15 ARBs throwing rocks at hacienda management workers, which prompted them to hire security guards.
At present, the management has filed complaints of malicious mischief against some of the perpetrators of violence, Torres said. He also said that the hacienda management is urging the authorities to uphold law and order and protect legitimate business transactions.| GB
