Policemen raided six houses of the rival groups of agrarian reform beneficiaries in Hacienda Velez-Malaga, Brgy. Robles, La Castellana, on Wednesday, for firearms but did not find any.

Senior Supt. Rosendo Franco, provincial police director, yesterday justified the simultaneous raids, a day before the expected installation of agrarian reform beneficiaries affiliated with Task Force Mapalad, saying they were responding reports that some farmer beneficiaries possessed firearms.

The simultaneous raids were jointly conducted by operatives of the 601st Criminal Investigation and Detection Group as well as personnel of the Negros Occidental police, by virtue of search warrants issued by Judges Anita Chua and Alan P. Drilon.

Subjects of the search warrants were the houses of TFM members Ruben Dimasu-ay, Guillermo Santillan and Gregorio Tano, and in the hacienda management were hacienda overseer Pedro Ogatis, his cousin, Rogelio Ogatis, and Prudencio Etorsayta

. SPO1 Melvin Mocorro said TFM members alleged that Ogatis and his cousin, as well as Etorsayta, possessed an M-16 assault rifle, .45 caliber pistol and 357 magnum revolver.

On the other hand, farmer beneficiaries identified with landowner Roberto Cuenca claimed that Dimasu-ay, Santilla, cousin of slain TFM member Pepito Santillan,and Tano also possessed an M-16 armalite rifle, a fragmentation grenade, a shotgun and a .45 caliber pistol, SPO2 Rosendo Bersal, CIDG investigators, said

The self-installation of TFM members in previous months in the controversial Hacienda Velez- Malaga led to an alleged shoot-out between the rival groups of farmer- beneficiaries, and followed by a strafing incident, that claimed the life of a farmer, and injuries to four others, police records show.

Franco said he was thankful that the prayer rally and expected installation of agrarian reform beneficiaries, which was not pushed through, was peaceful.

While majority of the Regional and Provincial Mobile Group troopers were pulled out yesterday from the hacienda, Franco said he left some policemen behind to beef up forces of the 613rd PMG stationed in the area.

Franco reiterated his reminders to policemen stationed in the hacienda to remain neutral in conflict between the two groups of farmers.

In response to the invitation of Provincial Agrarian Reform Officer Stephen Leonidas and Franco, personnel of the Commission on Human Rights yesterday visited Hacienda Velez- Malaga to witness the installation of agrarian reform beneficiaries affiliated with TFM.

CHR provincial officer Romeo Baldevarona urged both sides to refrain from engaging in violence.

Asked about the alleged goons in the hacienda, Baldevarona said maybe it refers to the "blue guards" hired by the hacienda management to watch their property. La Castellana Mayor Enrico Elumba yesterday reiterated his call for government to review the CARP, citing its defects. Of the P6 million taxes to be collected from property covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform program since 1996, we have collected only P200,000 this time, Elumba said.*GPB

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