Farmers’ organization Task Force Mapalad (TFM) recently published a press release condemning the murder of 51-year-old Welter Balayo, a peasant leader in Sagay City, who was shot nine times earlier this week by unknown assailants. The group claims the killing was conducted as a result of a Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) dispute.

The victim’s brother, Eduardo, a local TFM official, was killed last September in similar fashion. The two had been known to be active in efforts to proceed with land distributions through the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) program.

“Hindi namin maintindihan kung bakit hindi pa rin sine-survey ng DAR ang hacienda at pabilisin ang pamamahagi nito, lalo na’t may kautusan na si Presidente Duterte na pabilisin ang distribusyon ng mga lupain (We can’t understand why DAR has yet to survey the hacienda and fast-track distribution, especially when President Rodrigo Duterte already issued a directive to hasten the distribution of landholdings),” said Elsa Balayo, Eduardo’s widow. “Maaring buhay pa sana ang aking asawa at kanyang kapatid kung naayos agad ng DAR ang kanilang seguridad at karapatan sa lupa (Maybe my husband and his brother would still be alive now had DAR ensured their safety and their right to the land).”

Last February, the group protested outside the DAR office in Bacolod City, calling on Duterte to fast-track agrarian reform programs in Negros and to begin with the distribution of 30 specific landholdings, which stretch across 900 hectares of land.

“Though we are still confident that President Rodrigo Duterte is sincere in his desire to end the misery of landless farmers, we are afraid that his recent statement over his frustration in the DAR’s slow processing of land conversion applications and the issuance of the [administrative order fast-tracking land use conversion] could send mix signals that the department’s priority now will no longer be land distribution but land conversion,” explained TFM Negros-Panay Chapter President Teresita Tarlac./WDJ