(Photo courtesy of Kilab Multimedia on Facebook)
MANILA – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has vowed that there will be no stones unturned in its investigations into the confrontation between farmers and policemen in Kidapawan City last week.
DILG Undersecretary for Public Safety Peter Irving Corvera said the DILG parallel probes will ferret out the truth and get into the bottom of the confrontation’s cause.
“With respect to the investigation, nobody will be spared in terms of identifying (the perpetrators). But as to sanctioning them, we can only sanction those that are directly under our supervision,” Corvera said during the media forum held at Kapihan sa Manila Bay.
For individuals who are not under jurisdiction of the DILG which are found to have violated the human rights of the Kidapawan farmers, he said they would be referred to the proper venues.
Earlier, DILG Secretary Mel Senen Sarmiento created two fact-finding panels to assess the circumstances behind the Kidapawan confrontation last April 1.
The first panel is focused on the operational aspect of the dispersal and is headed by National Police Commission (Napolcom) Commissioner Job M. Mangente. The second panel is focused on the local government units (LGUs) and is headed by Director Manuel Q. Gotis of the DILG’s Bureau of Local Government Supervision (BLGS).
The Napolcom’s fact-finding panel is focused on the actions made by Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel and their commanders who were on the ground when the incident happened, while the LGU panel is looking into measures taken by the concerned LGUs in addressing the El Nino problem in their area of responsibility.
Corvera said Sec. Sarmiento is keen on digging out the truth especially since there are members of the PNP who were injured and are still unconscious because of the incident.
“Our problem is a lot of speculations and annotations came out on social media before we can even start our formal investigation on the matter. This has stirred confusion among people regarding what really happened on that day,” he said.
The DILG Undersecretary said preliminary findings of the agency’s probe indicate that what transpired last week was not a typical mob incident but an organized activity.
“In light of these initial findings, the DILG would also like to know who is behind this, what was the motivation behind the instigation, and who financed the organized action that led to the violence,” he added.
Corvera likewise appealed to members of the media and the public in general to review the six minute video drone submitted by the local government of Kidapawan that would clearly show who initiated the attack.
He acknowledged that the concerns of farmers in terms of food due to drought are legitimate. However, he maintained that the government is doing its best to assist the farmers in Region 12, which is the second region in the country that has been badly hit by the El Nino phenomenon.
He also noted that the national government, through the Department of Agriculture (DA) and the National Food Authority (NFA), has already shelled out PHP42.8 million worth of rice and corn intervention, and has also provided financial assistance to farmers as early as last year.
“We understand that other government and non-government groups are also conducting efforts to get to the truth as regards the Kidapawan incident. We see this as the DILG’s contributions to such efforts, and call on the public to discern for themselves as various details on the incident come to light,” said Corvera.