By Mark L. Garcia Bacolod City–Militants in Negros Occidental condemned the killing of a peasant leader and the detention of two civilians in separate areas of Negros Occidental earlier this month. In a press conference Wednesday, leaders of Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan, Karapatan-Negros, and Northern Negros Alliance of Human Rights Advocates denounced the incidents as violations of the peasants’ human rights. Jerry Turga, KMP vice chair, was gunned down on April 28 in Moises Padilla Town, and Julie Ruel, 22, and Emarine Pastedio, 20, were arrested and locked up by soldiers from the Army’s 79th Infantry Battalion on May 1 in San Carlos City. KMP National Secretary General Antonio Flores said the group’s fact-finding mission in Moises Padilla found that the police did not gather evidence in the killing of Turga but merely asked details from his neighbors. Earlier reports indicated that the New People’s Army (NPA) killed Turga. Turga was the 26th peasant leader killed in Negros Occidental since President Duterte assumed office. Flores said Duterte’s Oplan Kapayapaan and the military’s have “unleashed the worst kind of terror to farmers and civilians.” “If the farmer leaders who are just fighting for their land rights will continue to be tagged as members of NPA, this will not stop,” he said. Flores said the results of fact-finding mission will form the basis for a case KMP will submit to the International Criminal Court. Bayan-Negros Chairman Christian Tuayon said a climate of impunity pervades in Moises Padilla. “Because of this, no one is openly testifying. We call on authorities to act on it, especially the police to conduct in-depth investigation,” Tuayon said. Karapatan-Negros Secretary-General Clarizza Singson said the military, in its desperation to eliminate the NPA, is targeting civilians like Ruel and Pastedio as sympathizers of the rebel group.