Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, April 21) — Presidential candidate Leody de Guzman is eyeing legal action against those believed behind the shooting incident which left five people wounded during his visit on Tuesday to members of Manobo-Pulangiyon tribe in Bukidnon’s Quezon town.
The land is being contested by the Manobo-Pulangihon tribe and Kiantig Development Corporation, which owns the Kiantig Pineapple Company.
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Speaking to CNN Philippines’ The Source on Thursday, De Guzman cited the tribe’s allegation that the Kiantig Development Corporation—with Quezon, Bukidnon Mayor Pablo Lorenzo III listed as its general manager— is the primary suspect in the incident that transpired at the premises of a pineapple plantation.
“Ang suspect ng mga Manobo, lahat sila eh, yung mayor na kunyari tumatayong general manager,” he said. “Yun ang pangunahing suspect na talagang siya ang landgrabber.”
[Translation: As the Manobo tribe claims, the mayor is the suspect because he is the general manager of the development corporation. He is the primary suspect and he is a landgrabber.]
“Dapat kasuhan yung kumpanya at magpaliwanag bakit nangyari ang pamumutok sa panahong ito. Dapat may election ban eh. Pero kahit na. Dapat magpaliwanag sila,” he added.
[Translation: The company should be sued and be made to explain why this happened in the current season. There’s supposed to be an election ban. Still, they should explain themselves.]
The labor leader said he only wanted to assist the indigenous families in reclaiming 4 hectares of what they consider ancestral domain, after they were driven away from their land in 2017 and relocated along a highway.
De Guzman said at least four children who live in the area were reportedly hit by vehicles over the past years, just proving how unsafe they are in their current location.
3 persons of interest
In an interview with CNN Philippines on Thursday, PNP spokesperson Jean Fajardo said three security personnel guarding the plantation are being considered persons of interest (POIs) in the incident, citing accounts of witnesses.
They have yet to be named and their affiliations have yet to be identified, she also said.
“We are not discounting that possibility [na pwedeng bodyguards sila ng mayor] but based doon sa ating pakikipag-uugnayan sa mga kapulisan na nag-iimbestiga doon, itong tatlong POIs na kanilang tinututukan ay mga security guards na naka-detail doon sa loob ng plantation,” Fajardo said.
[Translation: We are not discounting that possibility that the gunmen are private bodyguards of the mayor, but based on our communication with the local police there, the three POIs being monitored are security guards who are detailed inside the plantation.]
Fajardo added that initial inspection of the area yielded eight shotguns, two 9-millimeter pistols, and a caliber .38 revolver.
De Guzman said he believes there was a conspiracy among the mayor, the authorities, and even the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples in the incident.
He also questioned why no one can enforce the 2018 court order for Lorenzo to vacate the area, when the community has secured proper documentation proving their ownership.
“Mataas ang duda ko. Personally kumbinsido ako na may sabwatan ang mga local police na iyan, yung mayor, yung development corporation na yan at even NCIP. Walang galaw eh,” he said.
[Translation: I highly suspect that there is a conspiracy among the local police, the mayor, the development corporation, and even NCIP. They have not addressed the issue at all.]
De Guzman also slammed members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, whom he said did not even bother to chase the gunmen during the shooting.
Meanwhile, in a message sent to the media, Lorenzo on Wednesday condemned the incident, noting that due process mandates any conflicting claims to be resolved in a proper forum and with the courts.
The Commission on Elections and the Philippine National Police are now looking into the incident. Police Maj. Gen. Valeriano de Leon, who heads the Elections Security Task Force, previously told CNN Philippines that he does not see the matter as an “election-related incident” so far.
De Guzman expressed a similar sentiment. He also said that while he is thankful for the offer of Comelec to provide additional security to candidates, President Rodrigo Duterte must open up investigation on land-grabbing before he steps down from office.
CNN Philippines is seeking the side of the NCIP and will update the story to include its response.
CNN Philippines Correspondent Stanley Gajete and Bukidnon-based Stringer Mel Velez contributed to this report.
