About 16 of the 22 farmers from Negros Occidental who are on their sixth day of hunger strike in front of Department of Agrarian Reform central office were brought to the hospital after complaining of severe weakness and other signs of stress such as dizziness, low blood pressure, high blood pressure, difficulty in urinating and breathing, fever, and dry skin, a press release from Task Force Mapalad said.

Brought to the East Avenue Medical Center were Estella Garcesa, 46; Florenda Hilaro, 48; Erlinda Gregorio, 56, Maria Arconilla, 54; Simplicio Santillan, 20; Robert Flores, 30; and Leonora Dalgontas, 48, --- all from Hacienda Velez-Malaga in Barangay Robles, La Castellana, the press release said. Brought to the hospital earlier were Adelaida Santillan, 57; Allan Hagocoy, 26, Gerald dela Torre, 18; and Ramil Maguan, 19.

They were protesting the alleged inaction of Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman on their demand to be installed in 144 hectares of the hacienda awarded to them five years ago under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, the press release also said.

The TFM members lashed out at Pangandaman, who, they said had reneged several times on his promise to install them in the hacienda.

A farmer-beneficiary, Pepito Santillan Sr., 62 and four other persons were wounded late last month when farmer-beneficiaries and the security men of landowner Roberto Cuenca clashed.*

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