MEMBERS of the Tinang Multi-Purpose Cooperative in Concepcion, Tarlac, have denounced the operatives of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) for instigating the destruction of their planted sugarcanes last June 9, 2022, which led to police intervention and the arrest of what the CPP-oriented members of the mainstream media now described as ‘Tinang 83’ (Tinang 92 in some accounts).
In an interview by ‘News 5’ after the incident that has gone viral, Orlando Baluyot, chairman of the cooperative, bared that while at least nine of those behind the uprooting of their crops where original land reform beneficiaries, the rest of those arrested were not natives to the area but are composed of students and other activists who described themselves as “land reform advocates.”
Baluyot, however added, that the nine farmers arrested but who were not named, along with other land reform beneficiaries have already “sold out” their share of land to others but now still want to have another piece of land to be given to them by the government.
Those arrested are members and supporters of the ‘Malayang Kiusang Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Tinang’ (MAKISAMA-Tinang), a breakaway group of the cooperative. The new group is suspected as a CPP-established front organization purposely established to agitate and radicalize the farmers of Tarlac, those in Tinang specifically, into fighting the government by joining the communist New People’s Army NPA).
Baluyot and his group simply referred to MAKISAMA as the ‘other group’ (“kabilang grupo”).
Significantly, other groups which immediately protested the police operation are all identified with the CPP—GABRIELA, Amihan, Kalikasan People’s Network, Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) and, former Anakpawis representative, Ariel Casilao.
Casilao is the brother of Eric Casilao, now the most wanted and highest CPP-NPA terrorist leader in Mindanao.
The violence occurred a day before the 34th anniversary of the enactment of the Comprehensive Land Reform Program (CARP) and just days before the expected release by the Department of Agrarian Reforms (DAR) of the names of the 236 expected beneficiaries of the 200-hectare Hacienda Tinang located in the town of Concepcion.
The so-called, ‘Bungkalan’ (collective planting) being used by the MAKISAMA-Tinang in uprroting the planted sugarcane and other crops in Hacienda Tinang, Concepcion, Tarlac, is one of the ways CPP operatives use to force the planters to give in to the extortion demand of the CPP-NPA in the amount of P10,000 per hectare, said Ka Warly, a former CPP-NPA member.
CPP operatives and their stooges in MAKISAMA claimed they were conducting “bungkalan” (collective planting) when the police swooped down on them.
But Baluyot said they were forced to seek police assistance when instead of planting, MAKISAMA started uprooting their planted sugarcanes.
In the interview, Baluyot said those belonging to MAKISAMA decided to breakaway from their cooperative claiming they intend to farm their share themselves. “Ngayon, hindi naman nangyari…ngayon sa kalaunan, ibinenta na po ‘yung lupa nila.”
Baluyot also dismissed the claim of MAKISAMA that they have laid claim to the entire Hacienda Tinang, stressing that all of them including MAKISAMA, have already been given their share by the Department of Agrarian Reformn (DAR) but members of MAKISAMA decided to sell off their shares.
“Ngayon, humihingi (na naman) sila ng lupa, saan kukuha ng lupa kundi sa kapareho nilang binigyan ng DAR ng lupa,” he pointed out, which means it would be the cooperative who would end up being dispossessed should the DAR gave in to MAKISAMA’s demand.
He also pointed out that of those arrested, only 9 were from Tinang and the rest, “guests” and “outsiders” (“dayuhan”).
He also appealed to MAKISAMA to stop recruiting students and youths, noting that many of those arrested were youths and students.
“Mga estudyante kawawa; maawa naman po kayo sa mga kabataan. Huwag ninyong isama ang mga kabataan, kawawa po ang kanilang mga magulang.”
Baluyot said they are also set to file a separate charge against the members of MAKISAMA for the destruction of their crops.
Florida Sibayan, the former chairperson of AMBALA (Alyansa ng Manggagawang Bukid sa Hacienda Luisita), which is another CPP-created front, said MAKISAMA’s crop destruction is the same tactic they employed at Hacienda Luisita.
“Ganyan ang ginagawa nila sa Hacienda Luisita, sinisira ang mga ‘tubo’ (sugarcane), sinisira ang mga pader (concrete walls), tinuturuan kami ng kasinungalingan,” Sibayan said.
Sibayan said that by following the “lies” of AMBALA, she ended up being charged in court and had to spend time in prison.
“Kami ay nakasuhan, nakulong, dahil sa itinuturo nila (CPP operatives) na kasinungalingan.”
Sibayan also supported Baluyot’s assertion debunking MAKISAMA’s claim that they were forced to uproot the planted crops in Tinang because they are going “hungry.”
“Ibinigay na sa kanila ang lupa pero ano ang ginawa nila, ibinenta nila, kaya ngayon nagugutom sila kasi wala na yung napagbentahan. Pero kung nagtanim sila, habangbuhay hindi sila magugutom,” she pointed out.
“Ka Warly,” former spokesperson of AMBALA and who confessed ending up as a member of the CPP-NPA, added MAKISAMA’s campaign to uproot planted crops and sugarcanes in the guise of collective planting is just the CPP’s way of forcing the “financiers” of these crops to give money to the terrorist organization.
“Hindi lang namin tinatabas, kundi sinusunog namin ang mga tubuhan, kasi ang gusto ng mga grupong ito (CPP fronts),magbigay ng karampatang buwis sa kanila. Sa isang ektarya, dapat P10,000 ang ibibigay ng mga (nagtatanim ng tubo).
Ganyan ang ginawa namin sa Hacienda Luisita at sa tingin namin, ganyan din ang gusto nilang gawin sa Bgy. Tinang, pag away-awayin ang mga tao.”
He further warned the CPP is planning to use the village as a base to recruit more adherents for the NPA because of the land dispute.
DAR Secretary Bernie Cruz, for his part, had already announced that Hacienda Tinang beneficiaries would be named in the coming days after they completed their validation process.
He also confirmed that “leftist groups” (CPP operatives) are those behind the incident in Tinang.
Cruz also regretted the statement from outgoing Vice President Leni Robredo mainly blaming the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the violence but averred that Robredo has just been “misinformed.”
Robredo is the CPP-backed candidate in the May 9, 2022 presidential election but lost massively to former senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong/BBM’ Marcos Jr.