Farmers from Sumilao carried his Philippineflag-draped casket adorned with banners of his farmers’ groups after a priest said the final blessings on the body of the man considered by colleagues and supporters as a “hero”, “a leader full of inspiration” and “a man who kept democracy alive.” 

“Gipangga ka guid namon, noy,” (We love you very much) a tearful family member from Negros Occidental said.
Close to 400 family members, neighbors, relatives, friends, and colleagues from farmers’ organizations attended the burial of Penas.

Peñas, leader of the Sumilao farmers and paralegal worker for other farmers’ groups, was ambushed in Barangay San Vicente, Sumilao nearly midnight on June 5 (Friday), around 200 meters away from the house of Alipio Tumangdang, one of three suspects. His two companions survived.

Local police have arrested and detained Tumangdang but two other suspects have remained at large.

On the day of the burial, Tumangdang was awaiting a court hearing. He maintained innocence even if police said they had “strong evidence” against him.
Penas’ hearse moved from his house to the Christ the King Parish Church in Kisolon in the tradition of the Sumilao farmer’s Walk for Land to Manila two years ago, which he helped organize.

Mourners carrying streamers marched the three-kilometer stretch like street protesters. 

The streamers read “Hustisya para kang ka Rene” and called for the passage of the bill extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.  The House of Representatives actually passed House Bill 4077 on June 5 but a Bicameral Panel Discussion was set for June 9  to harmonize Senate Bill 2666 with that of the House.

They also demanded the full distribution of the 94 hectare-land granted by Malacanang to the Sumilao farmers in 2007 which was part of the 144-hectare contested Quisumbing estate.

In his homily at the funeral mass that was also attended by Akbayan Rep. Riza Hontiveros Baraquel and Bukidnon Gov. Jose Ma R. Zubiri Jr., Cagayan de Oro Archbishop Antonio Ledesma praised Peñas as a leader who showed the nation that change in society could be done through non-violent means.

“You helped inform the nation of the struggle of the people for land through leading the walk. In that you have shown the true democracy, the real strength of the people,” Ledesma said.

The archbishop said he understood the anger caused by Peñas’ death but stressed that the movement should stay in God’s path.

“Even if we are angry, we need to continue what he has started. Our movement is for peace, life, land, and progress,” he said.

Ledesma in a MindaNews interview dismissed allegations the church has jumped to conclusions that Peñas was a victim of extra-judicial killing for his support to CARPER.

“We never blamed any group or person yet. For now what the police have to do is to show a clear and solid work on the case,” he said. 

Bukidnon Bishop Honesto Pacana, whose message was read by San Isidro College President Fr. Virgilio Delfin urged authorities to give “serious and full” attention on Peñas’s case as he condemned the slaying as a “work of evil.” 

He said the slaying deserves condemnation. He, however, added that it is a consolation seeing Peñas’ death was not in vain as he gave up his life for others.   

Hontiveros described the Sumilao walk to Manila for land as one significant display of democracy after EDSA 2. She described Penas as a leader full of inspiration and one who kept democracy alive.

Penas’ family meanwhile called for a deeper investigation of the case even if police are zeroing in to Tumangdang and his alleged accomplices.

 “I am angry. Our cry is for justice. The government should give an appropriate investigation,” Noland, eldest of Penas’ four children and designated spokesperson, said.

But Noland, provincial coordinator of the Pambansang Kilusang ng mga Samahang Magsasaka, dismissed personal grudge as the motive behind his father’s death.

He argued his father was killed for supporting the CARPER law and other farmers’ groups. Penas is the 54^th farmer-leader killed since 1988. 

Sumilao police chief Rae D. Vasquez told MindaNews a day before the burial that strong evidence pointed to Tumangday, saying Peñas was killed in relation to a conflict involving another property – the 19-hectare land beside the 50 hectares granted to the Sumilao farmers in 2007.    

“The motive has been established,” Vasquez said as he showed reporters copies of affidavits and police record indicating the suspect has earlier threatened John Calopez and Peñas.

Calopez is one of seven beneficiaries of the property while Peñas claimed they allowed Tumangdang to till the property for them with an agreement on crop sharing.    

Peñas has done paralegal work for the group.

Vasquez showed documents indicating the group of owners has charged Tumangday with qualified theft for cutting a total of 454 mango trees, 54 of which were reported to police in February 2009.  This was after Tumangdang allegedly failed to honor their deal.

Tumangdang said he owns the land since nobody was tilling it when he first occupied it, adding the group only claimed it when he has already cleared the land for farming. He denied any deal was made. 

Vasquez said they have a new witness who could identify the two other assailants who were with Tumangdang that night. 

He admitted he has been receiving calls from the police regional office in Cagayan de Oro every 15 minutes for updates on their investigation. “We have not gone to sleep (well) in a week,” he said. 

Noland, however, questioned the supposed motive of the murder, although he said “they respect” the angle the police are pursuing.

“Why kill the paralegal and not the client? Why are they are rushing it now, when they acted too slow when we reported the incident to them?” he told MindaNews at the wake of his father on June 15. 

“They are not supposed to stop at just looking for the killer, they should dig deeper as to why he was killed,” he added.

At the tribute after the mass Sumilao farmers’ spokesperson Napoleon “Yoyong” Nerida Jr. called Penas’ killers “cowards."

“They who are not ready to face and solve problems in dialogue but are ready to kill,” he said.

“Before, we shouted for justice, for land, now we are shouting for justice for Ka Rene,” Vicente Fabe of Pakisama said, adding he was a hero to the farmers now. (Walter I. Balane/MindaNews)

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