Pineda’s warlordism in Pampanga: Farmers denounce Pineda’s landgrabbing in Lubao, Pampanga

Pineda’s warlordism in Pampanga
Farmers denounce Pineda’s landgrabbing in Lubao, Pampanga

Farmers belonging to Sto. Niño Lubao Farmers Association, Inc. denounce the violent demolition of their houses and destruction of their crops in Bgy. Prado Siongco, Lubao town of Pampanga last February 15. The demolition was led by security forces of Pineda Security Services Inc., employed by Mercantile Insurance Corp. while elements of the Lubao police and military were luring the farmers into negotiation. Under the police and soldiers watch, security guards continued to demolish more than 100 houses and violently hurt a woman farmer causing her head to bleed.

A fact-finding mission was conducted on March 17 by the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP, Peasant Movement of the Philippines), Tanggol Magsasaka (Peasant Network for Land, Justice and Human Rights), Rural Missionaries of the Philippines and NNARA-Youth (peasant student advocates) at Bgy. Prado Siongco, where the farmers who used to occupy the 208-hectare agricultural lands are encamped. The group discovered that the farmers were violently displaced without any legal basis which was actually witnessed by Mayor Dennis Pineda, son of “jueteng lord” Bong Pineda and governatorial candidate Lilia “Baby” Pineda.

“The Pineda family is definitely grabbing our lands, they have no proof of ownership but sheer fascist power that evicted us from our positions. The guards kept saying that we are facing a big wall,” a farmer victim who requested anonymity.

The 208-hectare agricultural lands were once part of the Hacienda Gonzales owned by the Marcos-crony Dimson family. It was latered subdivided and a certain Maria Anicia Unson was able to buy the lands. The Pinedas were trying to buy off the lands from Unson since 1993 but never pushed through as their offer was rejected by the latter. The transaction was never made until Unson died in 2007. She has no heir to the lands, thus, farmers kept them agriculturally productive. Since then, the Pinedas, using a dummy corporation Mercantile Insurance Corp. systematically harassed the farmers and violent demolitions were implemented since May of 2007 to February of this year. About more than a thousand farming households were affected by the demolition but latest victims are encamped near their lands and are keeping their struggle to re-occupy their positions.

“The Pinedas are the Ampatuan of Pampanga, the guards under their security agency are actually their private army. The security guard who hit a peasant women at her head was set scot-free while her husband was being accused and harassed of being in prison,” said Wilfredo Marbella, KMP Deputy Secretary-General who led the fact-finding mission.

“The guards are even annoying us in our ocular visit of the area, it is a vast tract of lands, covering about 7 electrical towers. The lands are fenced with barbed wire and signs of “private property, no trespassing” were sticked on the ground. The Pinedas are really assuming that they have an inch of proof of ownership of the lands,” said Marbella.

“Accompanying the demolition force on February 15 were those claiming to be with the DSWD, they have attempted to snatch a male child from a victim farming family. They said children should not be at those kind of places, where the Pinedas are those who made the situation dangerous for them,” he added.

“This is just a start, the Pinedas thought the farmers would cow down from their threats, we will know that justice shall prevail as more and more sectors are being aware of their warlord practices in Pampanga. They will feel the farmers’ protests especially on the May elections,” said Marbella. #