Security guards confiscate equipment of photojournalist covering land dispute

Private guards of Jarton Security Agency swept into a "kampuhan" (camping) of residents of Tartaria in Silang, Cavite past midnight on Saturday to fence off an area covered by a land dispute there.

They also confiscated the personal property of people at the "kampuhan," including the equipment of Jose Monsieur Santos, a freelance photojournalist and member of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines, who was covering the land dispute.

According to reports, the issue of ownership of the land is still pending at the Supreme Court and the Department of Agrarian Reform.

Santos said he had put his equipment, including a Kevlar helmet and his camera, down past midnight to sleep but was awakened at 2 a.m. because of tension between the security guards and residents of Tartaria.

Santos said he identified himself as a journalist and has been negotiating with security guards since 6 a.m. to get his equipment back.