By Emmanuel T. Erediano
Variety News Staff

A farmer in Kagman disclosed yesterday that a non-resident worker has finally come out in the open and testified that “he is leasing a commercial farm plot from another non-resident worker who is leasing from a local farmer,”
Ray “RB” Camacho said he does not know what prompted the “illegal farmer” to surface and reveal the matter, but he is sure that the man, who is a guest worker from China, has already issued a statement to a government agency admitting that he has been leasing the farm plot from another person who is not authorized to lease the land.
Camacho said the self-confessed illegal farmer who has yet to be named was assisted by a translator when he went to the government agency recently to give his statement.
Farmers in Kagman disclosed several months ago that some of those tilling land on Kagman commercial farm plots are actually alien workers sub-leasing the plots and have even set up their own pumps that farmers claim have been sucking the local farm lands dry.
The House Committee on Natural Resources meet with the Kagman farmers and discussed the matter with them months ago.
There have not been any concrete measures undertaken to curb the supposed illegal farming in Kagman because the lawmakers have not heard enough from agencies concerned.
The House committee scheduled another meeting, inviting the Immigration Division which the lawmakers hope can shed light on the incidents.
As of yesterday however, no such meeting has been held in the House.
Camacho went to the House of Representatives yesterday to remind the lawmakers about the supposed meeting since there is now somebody directly involved who is willing to talk.
Non-resident workers in the farming category are supposed to be paid bi-monthly, but according to the local farmers, there are guest workers who actually sub-lease farm plots and split the profits from sales.
Camacho, a former Department of Public Safetypolice chief is among those keeping an eye on them.