Imee Marcos says onion farmer who testified in Senate allegedly harassed by PNP

An onion farmer in Bayambang, Pangasinan who recently testified before a Senate panel was allegedly harassed by the Philippine National Police, Senator Imee Marcos said Thursday.

"Hands off lang po sa mga testigo ng Senado!" Marcos said in a statement, referring to Merly Gallardo who appeared before the Senate agriculture, food, and agrarian reform committee last Monday.

She said the police went to the house of the witness and other onion farmers upon the orders of the Department of the Interior and Local Government and the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

"Natatakot na ang mga magsasaka ng sibuyas sa biglaang pagkakatok ng pulis kagabi hanggang ngayong umaga upang papirmahin ng sinumpaang salaysay na nagbabaliktad sa kanilang ibinunyag sa Senado nung Martes. Utos raw ng DILG at ng NTF-ELCAC: CPP- NPA ba ang turing natin sa maliliit na magsasaka sa liblib? Hands off po sa ating mga testigo, lalu't nagsasabi ng totoo, masakit man marinig," she added.

Marcos shared a photo of an advisory from DILG Pangasinan provincial office signed by Director Virgilio Sison which seeks additional information related to the reported case of five farmers who committed suicide.

The subject of the advisory read as "Request by NTF-ELCAC for the verification of a reported case regarding the suicide of five farmers in Pangasinan."

GMA News Online reached out to NTF-ELCAC executive director Emmanuel Salamat, Interior Secretary Benhur Abalos, and PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Jean Fajardo for comment but they have yet to respond as of posting time.

Marcos also shared a copy of a police report dated January 18, 2023 which showed that police officers conducted an interview with Gallardo.

The policemen also conducted information gathering and validation of the report that other farmers of Barangay Paragos in Bayambang, Pangasinan had also committed suicide due to financial loss in relation to onion farming.

"After careful evaluation based on the information gathered on the alleged five suicide incidents associated [with] the loss on onion farming in Brgy. Paragos, Bayambang, Pangasinan, this are [mere] allegations and what had transpired and the fact was the only...suicide incident that can be associated with loss on onion farming was the [Barangay Kagawad} Roger Gallardo incident, supported with the accounts of his  wife and documents relating to his untimely death," read the police report shared by Marcos to the media.

"Mrs. Merlita Gallardo[,] at this moment[,] is still hesitant to give her official statement and seeking advice [from] unknown individuals to shed light in relation to the issue that surrounds the alleged death of the farmers," the police report added.

During the hearing last Monday, Elvin Jerome Laceda, the national president of Young Farmers Challenge Club of the Philippines, Inc., brought with him Merly Gallardo, wife of one of the farmers who committed suicide last year.

"Last year po dahil nalugi ang kanilang farm, nag-suicide po ang kanyang asawa. Milyon-milyon ang utang po nila dahil don sa harabas (army worm). Ngayon pa lang po sila sana nakabawi pero dahil may importasyon po, wala pang 100 days ang kanilang onions po, kailangan nang i-harvest 85 to 90 days," Laceda said.

"'Yung istorya ni nanay sana hindi na po maulit sa ibang magsasaka. Lima na magsasaka po ang nagsuicide sa barangay nila," he added.—AOL, GMA Integrated News