Family members of victims of the 2018 massacre in Sagay City, Negros Occidental remembered the second year of the incident during a peace advocacy symposium organized by the Philippine Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion (IB) at the village hall of Barangay Bulanon on Tuesday (Oct. 20).
Lt. Col. Gerard Alvaran, commanding officer of 79IB, said the activity paid tribute to the innocent lives victimized by the communist- terrorist and militant groups.
“Let’s work hand-in-hand so that this kind of incident will not happen again. We can’t afford to let this dark portion of history repeat itself,” he said.
Alvaran also assured the Sagaynons that the Philippine Army is collaborating with the Philippine National Police and the Sagay-Local Government Unit to ensure their safety and well-being.
During the symposium, 1st Lt. Norman Sorila, civil-military operations officer of 79IB, discussed with the victims’ kin and the village officials the deceptive schemes of the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) in recruiting and organizing unwary civilians while Pastor Hope Biasca of Trinity Fellowship Church provided them spiritual guidance.
The gathering concluded with the distribution of food packs to the families from the Sagay city government.
On the night of Oct. 20, 2018, nine persons — Eglicerio Villegas, Angelife Arsenal, Rene Laurencio Sr., Paterno Baron, Morena Mendoza, Marcelina Dumaguit, Rannel Bantigue, and minors Marchtel Sumikad and Joemarie Ogahayon — were killed at Hacienda Nene, Purok Firetree in Barangay Bulanon after their group occupied the sugarcane field earlier that day to demand for their piece of land in the property.
The fatalities were also identified as members of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW).
Murder complaints were filed by the police against those allegedly involved in the massacre, including Rene Manlangit and Rogelio Arquillo, who were identified as NFSW recruiters.
The suspects were accused of enticing the victims to join the NFSW considered as a workers’ front organization of the CPP-NPA.
In May last year, it has been reported that state prosecutors was set to hold a preliminary investigation hearing in Bacolod City after none of the respondents appeared on the last scheduled hearing at the Department of Justice (DOJ) in Manila. NLG
