The Melo Commission, a fact-finding body created by President Gloria Arroyo to investigate extra-judicial killings and other related violence in the country, will hold two-day hearings on incidents reported to have occurred in Negros Occidental, at the Social Hall of the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City starting this morning.

Retired Justice Jose Melo, who chairs the commission, said hearings will be held in Bacolod City Monday and Tuesday, and in Davao City on December 4.

The commission, which has held five hearings since it was created, is expected to wrap up its report after the Bacolod and Davao hearings.

The hearings in Bacolod stem from complaints lodged by Task Force Mapalad.

Farmers and families of victims of agrarian-related killings in Negros Occidental will be at the hearing today, Jose Rodito Angeles, TFM Negros president, said.

They will present to the Commission documents related to the killings of TFM community organizer Rico Adeva, farmer-leaders Mario Domingo and Wilfredo Cornea, and farmer-beneficiaries Teresa Mameng and Ronilo Vasquez, he said.

TFM, in a statement yesterday, said the "killings and other forms of agrarian-related violence were orchestrated by few big Negros landowners opposed to the government's Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program".

"We look forward to the investigation by the Melo Commission because we believe it can help hasten the judicial process involving the cases against the perpetrators of violence," Angeles said.

He claimed that most of the cases on agrarian-related violence filed before the various of prosecutors in Negros Occidental have not been acted upon.*CPG

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LA CARLOTA CITY - The military yesterday maintained that it has nothing to do with the so-called extra judicial killings, while militant groups claim that 16 of the 783 cases took place in Negros Occidental.

Maj. Gen. Victor Ibrado, commanding general of the 3rd Infantry Division, yesterday said "We are not ordering our people to kill whoever they blame on us".

That is not part of any of our campaign plan, Ibrado said.

"We are in a democratic country, anybody can say what he wants for as long as they do not steps on the rights of others," he added.

If people have proof or evidence against anybody they suspect to be a killer of somebody, we are very willing to cooperate, Ibrado, who was the guest of honor and speaker of the 35th founding anniversary of the 11th Infantry Battalion here, said.

He added that Armed Forces chief of staff Hermogenes Esperon has instructed them to assist anybody who is investigating.*GPB

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