Rebels attack 2 firms land in Rizal

From The Standard (Nov 22): Rebels attack 2 firms land in Rizal

COMMUNIST guerrillas simultaneously attacked the properties of Ayala Land and Arce Dairy Products in Rodriguez, Rizal Thursday and seized 14 firearms from the security personnel of the two companies, the National Democratic Front announced Saturday.

In a statement posted on its website, the NDF quoted a certain Macario Liwanag, purportedly the spokesperson of the New People’s Army’s Narciso Antazo Aramil Command, as saying the guerrillas attacked the companies’ offices and security detachments in Barangay Macabud at 5 p.m. Thursday.

Aside from nine rifles and four pistols seized from the security personnel, the rebels also seized ammunition, radio sets, bulletproof vests, combat boots and military packs, Liwanag said in the statement.

The rebels staged the raid purportedly because the two companies were involved in widespread land-grabbing from farmers who are intimidated and forcibly evicted from the land that were allegedly seized by the two companies.

“Through intimidation and deceit, Selecta Farm seized 45 hectares of land while Ayala Land amassed 76 hectares. They continue to expand their land to the detriment of the farmers and citizens of the area through paid and armed goons,” Liwanag said in the statement.

The two companies were able to control 131 hectares of land which were made part of various maneuvers meant to exclude the property from the land reform program, the NPA said.

“Despite the farmers’ demand that the land be distributed to them under the land reform program, government agencies, like the Department of Agrarian Reform, the town government of Rodriguez and the provincial government of Rizal, played deaf to their pleas,” the NPA said.

“Worst was the maneuver of the local government of Rodriguez which reclassified Barangay Macabun, which was previously and wholly classified as agricultural land, into industrial and commercial land so that it will not be included in the land reform program.

“This village remains without power, without a clear water distribution system and rich only in decrepit roads although it is quite near Metro Manila,” the NPA said.

“Because the citizens of Barangay Macabud and the citizens of Montalban, Rizal cannot hope in their government agencies, they brought the matter before the democratic government of the people,” the statement read. “Because of this, the NPA was obliged to act and address the concerns of the citizens.”

The NPA said Arce Dairy Products (formerly known as Selecta Farms) is owned by the family of Don Mauro Arce, a partner of [industrialist] Jose Concepcion. Ayala Land, on the other hand, is known to be owned by the Zobel de Ayala family.

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