More than 200 farmer-residents of Brgy. Inolingan, Moises Padilla town, Negros Occidental, have signed a petition condemning a Pulupandan businessman for allowing the construction of an army patrol base in the barangay.

The petition paper of the Barangay Inolingan Farmers' Association - Kilusang Mambubukid ng Pilipinas, copies of which were furnished the DAILY STAR yesterday, slammed Magdaleno Peña, land administrator of his late grandmother Bonifacia Montilla, for allegedly putting up an army detachment in the area.

Meanwhile, Peña told the DAILY STAR in a phone interview, the barangay is a red-infiltrated area and that BIFA is a communist-front of the New People's Army, that is why they don't like the construction of an army detachment.

He said he allowed the 11th Infantry Brigade to put up a patrol base in the barangay since the government asked him for a land area.

Barbara Dalios, 64, of Sitio Tuko-Coyawyaw, Brgy. Inolingan, said Peña planted placards with the message "No trespassing, private property" in the area and had allowed a private army to construct roads and infrastructure in the area. In a press conference at the National Federation of Sugar Workers in Bacolod City yesterday, Dalios said the residents were made to sign a blank paper and warned to vacate the area before April. She said the farmers have been farming the land since 1970.

Peña said that if the residents were in the area since 1970's, then they owed him back-rental because they are squatting on private land.

Antonio Tabanao, 51, also a resident, said he believes the putting up of an alleged army detachment is intended to drive them out of the area.

Dalios and Tabanao said they are appealing to Peña and his family to re-consider their situation because they have no other place to go and their livelihood depends on the farmlands.

"I will not kick them (farmers) out as long as they behave", Peña said.

Mario Tapi-on of the Kilusang Mambubukid ng Pilipinas said they will set up a dialog to be participated in by farmer-residents, Moises Padilla's local government officials, Barangay Inolingan Farmers' Association members, Department of Agrarian Reform officials and Peña on Feb. 14.

He said the KMP will conduct a fact-finding mission together with different sectors of society on Feb. 19 to 21.*DMG

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