On the ‘Sagay 9’: Media Note Police’s Premature Conclusion

Screengrab from CNN Philippines’ Facebook page.

CHEERS TO CNN Philippines’ News Night for its report on the ‘Sagay 9,’ which noted the police’s premature conclusion on the killing of nine farmers in Hacienda Nene in Sagay City, Negros Occidental on October 20.

The News Night report on October 22 noted that while the police were saying that they are still looking into four possible angles in the shooting, they were at the same time claiming that it was the New People’s Army (NPA) that was responsible – and even while pointing out “the absence of concrete evidence.”

Chief Supt. John Bulalacao, Western Visayas Police Regional Office Director, was quoted in the report as saying that “Alam mo kasi yung mga farmers din, mayroon ding mga supporters ng NPA eh, although wala kaming ebidensya, pero sinasabi ng mga tao roon. Ito, kesyo na-i-involve ‘dun minsan, sumusuporta sa NPA. So inaassume ng mga investigators na parang, this is another group of NPA na kalaban nitong bagong na-recruit nila para lang makakuha sila ng property. (Some of the farmers are NPA supporters. Although we don’t have any evidence, the locals are saying so. So investigators assume that this is another group of NPA, rivals of the newly recruited ones, who wanted to get property.)

Gen. Carlito Galvez, chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, also linked  the killings to the so-called “Red October” plot on October 22. (see monitor: ““Red October” Plot: Some Journalists Asked Hard Questions”)

The media tend to just cite the statements of the police or military,  or to air video footage of the official speaking. The CNN Philippines report was an exception by pointing out that the police was making a premature conclusion while admitting that it had no evidence to support it and were still investigating.

On October 24, media reported that the police had filed multiple murder charges against two members of the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) and other unnamed people, claiming that the two members had lured the victims into joining the NFSW so as to use them later in inciting hate against the government. The police also said the farmer’s organization is “a legal front” of the NPA.

Meanwhile, the alternative media group Kodao Productions reported on October 28 that a national fact-finding mission has found that the Special Civilian Auxiliary Army (SCAA), ““commonly known” to be engaged in protecting haciendas under the control of the local government of Sagay City,” was behind the incident.

The mission was mounted by the Salinlahi, Children’s Rehabilitation Center, KARAPATAN National Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights, Gabriela party-list, and the National Union of People’s Lawyers (NUPL).

Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. has also formed a special task force to probe the killings. It had yet to release its findings as of press time.

Media must note the conflicting findings and follow developments closely in cases such as this instead of merely echoing police and other government agencies’ claims. They may otherwise become unwitting accomplices in spreading  false information as part of the propaganda war between government and dissident groups.