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Nonoy, the hero of farmworkers

Monday, September 1, 2008

Tension begins to build-up in Lacson Estate in Kanlaon City. The former landowner is determined to get back the land. One month after the farmers’ takeover of the land in August 1999, the former landowner put up tanod (security) posts in every corner of the hacienda . Every night the tanods of the former landowner made rounds of checking of the hacienda and flashing lights at the house of members and leaders of farmers to provoke them to react.



Sensing that their lives and their hard earned land were in danger, the cooperative hold a meeting. with the community organizer (CO) in the area. The members again reaffirmed not to leave the land and they will fight it come what may. They draw a defense plan. They formed security forces. Unknown to the community organizer, the members sold their livestock and bought guns and ammunitions they will use for defending their life and properties. The leader exclaimed “ pangapinan ang atong katungod” ( defend our rights). Children and their wives were relocated temporarily to a safe place.



An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” One of the CO described the situation when told to report in one of the meeting. The security forces of the cooperative conducted nightly security check of the area, roving and checking the house of members and if they heard gun shots in the air done by the tanods of the former landowner, they also fired back, sending message that they were not afraid against the provocation. This was the situation every night in the area.



One morning, the laborer of the former landowner plowed the land already cultivated by one of the member of cooperative. Immediately, the other members of the cooperative rushed to the scene and supported the member, thus, confrontation takes form. The administrator of the former landowner reinforces his men with his paid goons. Heated arguments and confrontation followed. The contending groups were both armed, the administrator of the former landowner displayed their guns while the leader of the cooperative draw a line in the ground and warned the administrator and his goons not to cross the line or else blood will flow.



The two contending groups was separated by more or less 50 meters. Slight provocations will ignite a violent and bloody confrontation. Thanks for the urgent intervention of the community organizer, she talked to the laborers and paid goons of the former landowner and explained to them the rights of the members of cooperative as Certificate of Land Ownership Award holder and in effect the new owner of the land. The laborer told the community organizer that the administrator is the one who mobilized them and they only wait for the administrators’ order. The community organizer then talked to the administrator and asked him not to continue his plan of cultivating the land already owned by the ARBs. Negotiations continue until the administrator gave in and talked to his men not to continue their plan. The local police arrived in the area but the tension was already gone. No one in either group complained to the police because of fear that their guns will be confiscated. The nightly events of firing gun shots on the air, flashing lights at the house of members of the cooperative continues.



November 23, 1999, early morning, news broke out of the murder of Mr. Neonito Ordaniel, the chairperson of the cooperative in Lacson Estate in Kanlaon. Right away, the community organizer goes to the area and confirmed the news seeing Nonoys’ body lying with blood stains all over his body. There are markings of stabbing and wounds in different parts of his body. Nonoy was brutally murdered in the middle of the night. He came from the house of one of his member. While walking in the middle of the night along the road surrounded by tall sugar cane plants, he was ambushed by several men and brutally killed him.



On the night of the wake, 7 pm Nov. 23, 1999, the group of community organizer arrived in the house of Nonoy surrounded by sugar cane on one side and germilina trees on the other side located on an isolated place in the hacienda. The body of Nonoy laid in a wooden casket with one baby chick chirping on top of the casket. Local tradition always observed this practice once the person was murdered and no justice yet was served. The wake area located in the backyard and covered by the tent is illuminated by the only lights coming from petromax (gas lamp). Security measures was observed as there are threats that there will be next to be murdered.



In the middle of the night, cracking of germilina twigs was heard prompting the newly formed security force among the ARBs to beam their flashlights on the side of germilina trees and saw a person running away. There are more than twenty persons attending the wake and they decided to go home in the morning instead of in the middle of the night. This is to avoid unexpected to happen again. Five members of ARB carried guns to defend them. The leaders decided to transfer the wake in their training center infront of the outpost of baranggay tanod (barrio police). Farmers from all over the province came during last day of the wake to provide sympathy and support for the family of Nonoy.



Next day, during the burial, the parish priest held a mass. More than two thousand people attended the mass and the procession going to the final resting place of Nonoy. Some group of students and teachers gathered in front of the exhibits displaying pictures of Nonoys body full of blood. One of the teacher exclaimed “this is the work of an evil”, “why did they brutally killed Nonoy? “. Some students broke into tears while looking at the pictures. During the procession, sea of human body lined up and marching silently. This is the first time in Kanlaon city that so many people gathered in sympathy of a dead person. Nonoy is considered a hero of the struggle for agrarian reform in the sugar land. “Nonoys’ death will not cowed determination to continue the struggle” blurted out by one of the leader while hearing memorial service.



The cooperative helped the widow of Nonoy to earn a living to support her children. Five suspects were arrested and jailed. It is almost 9 years but the family of Nonoy has yet to see justice. The wheel of justice is slow in the Philippines.

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