Negros Occidental police director Rosendo Franco yesterday said the detachment of the 613rd Provincial Mobile Group stationed near the controversial property Hacienda Malaga-Velez in Brgy. Robles, La Castellana, will remain until the peace and order situation returns to normal.

The establishment of a temporary detachment was ordered by Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pangandaman to prevent the escalation of violence between rival groups of agrarian reform beneficiaries identified with Task Force Mapalad and the hacienda management.

Pangandaman has announced that 122 TFM agrarian reform beneficiaries will be installed on 144 hectares of land in Hacienda Velez-Malaga in Barangay Robles, La Castellana, this week. Franco, however, said yesterday that there is no advice if the installations of TFM affiliated farm workers will push through this week.

The police is now preparing contingency plans to avert any possible violence between rival groups of farm beneficiaries if the installations will be made by DAR.

The agrarian reform conflict in the hacienda turned from bad to worse after TFM members allegedly traded shots with security guards hired by the hacienda management last month, injuring four persons, including three farm workers and a security guard, on Jan. 24.

The next day, TFM member Pepito Santillan was murdered by still unidentified suspects who reportedly strafed his house in the hacienda, police records show.

SPO2 Rosendo Bersal of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group, yesterday said both sides refused to cooperate with their investigations.*GPB

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