BACOLOD City – The Negros Occidental Police Provincial Office (NOCPPO) headed by Senior Superintendent Rodolfo Castil Jr. urged the public to avoid making conclusions on the “Sagay 9” massacre.
“Let us wait for the results of the investigation being conducted by the Special Investigation Task Force (SITF) and let us not make conclusions without concrete evidences and bases,” the provincial police director said over the weekend.
The NOCPPO created the SITF a day after the Oct. 20 killings.
“We assure the public that the investigation being conducted is fair and sides with no one. We seek the truth for we are the protector of the people,” said Castil.
Meanwhile, Negros Occidental governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. formed another probe team, the Special Task Force “Hustisya” (justice), to investigate the killing of nine farmers in his hometown of Sagay City.
The massacre was carried out in Hacienda Nene, Purok Firetree in Barangay Bulanon.
“The special task force (will) ensure a thorough and impartial investigation so that truth and justice shall be served to the families of the victims,” said Marañon.
The task force is made up of representatives of the social action centers of the dioceses of San Carlos and Bacolod, Public Attorney’s Office in Negros Occidental, and Provincial Agrarian Reform Office, in close cooperation with the national offices of the departments of justice and agrarian reform, and the National Bureau of Investigation.
“No amount of threats would prevent me from bringing before the bar of justice those responsible in the incident,” said Marañon.
The task force will “make sure that those responsible…shall be brought before the bar of justice together with those who planned, organized, agitated and manipulated the poor farmers and sugar workers,” he added.
Friday last week, Marañon and his son, Sagay City mayor Alfredo Marañon III, joined Agriculture secretary Emmanuel Piñol in a meeting with the families of the victims at the city gymnasium.
Piñol turned over financial assistance from the Department of Agriculture to the families. (PNA)
