News Release
March 12, 2008
Reference: Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano, chairman, KMP and president, ANAKPAWIS party list

Kalbaryo ng Magbubukid for Genuine Agrarian Reform starts

Farmers from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan and Montalban, Rizal conduct a Kalbaryo ng Magbubukid sa Ilalim ng Rehimen US-Macapagal- Arroyo (Peasant Calvary under the US-Macapagal- Arroyo regime) to highlight the sufferings the peasantry has endured under Gloria and to call for genuine agrarian reform.
 

According to Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano, chairman of KMP and concurrent president of ANAKPAWIS party list., “ scores of peasants would start from their farms and with them are three crosses that represent the three biggest problems of farmers and the Filipino people,”
 

“The first cross would be imperialism and under it are the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, World Trade Organization (WTO), Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), RP-China deals, Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the SOFA, Monsanto and Syngenta.

The second cross would be bureaucrat capitalism and under it are Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Sec. Eduardo Ermita, Mike Arroyo, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Norberto Gonzalez and Sec. Raul Gonzales, as well the P728 million fertilizer fund scam, the P3.1 billion irrigation scam, the NBN-ZTE deal and the Spratlys deal. Lastly, the third cross is feudalism with the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), the stock distribution option (SDO), the corporative scheme, agrarian reform communities (ARC), joint ventures and Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco under it,” said Mariano.
 

“The farmers are also doing the Kalbaryo to call for a complete stop to the massive land use conversion of agricultural lands into residential areas as what is happening in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan particularly in Tungkong Mangga and Montalban, Rizal. In Montalban it is Mayor Pedro Cuerpo himself is the one forcing farmers out of their land, while in Bulacan, the Aranetas are the culprits,” added the peasant leader.
 

“Our members will do the 14 stations in 3 days and will stop at different government agencies and churches to show them the real plight of the peasantry and our call for the passing of the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (HB 3059) and the scrapping of the CARP,” ended Mariano.
The Kalbaryo will merge this afternoon at the House of Representatives and spend the night at the St. Peters Church in Commonwealth. # # #

Download statement

News Release
March 13, 2008
Reference: Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano, chairman, KMP and president, ANAKPAWIS party list

Kalbaryo ng Magbubukid pray over corrupt and fascist gov’t agencies

Farmers from San Jose del Monte, Bulacan and Montalban, Rizal are on the second day of Kalbaryo ng Magbubukid sa Ilalim ng Rehimen US-Macapagal- Arroyo (Peasant Calvary under the US-Macapagal- Arroyo regime) to highlight the sufferings the peasantry has endured under Gloria and to call for genuine agrarian reform.
 

According to Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano, chairman of KMP and concurrent president of ANAKPAWIS party list., “ scores of peasants started marching from their farms yesterday and with them are three crosses that represent the three biggest problems of farmers and the Filipino people,”
 

“The first cross would be imperialism and under it are the International Monetary Fund (IMF), World Bank, World Trade Organization (WTO), Japan-Philippine Economic Partnership Agreement (JPEPA), RP-China deals, Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) and the SOFA, Monsanto and Syngenta. The second cross would be bureaucrat capitalism and under it are Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, Sec. Eduardo Ermita, Mike Arroyo, Gen. Hermogenes Esperon, Norberto Gonzalez and Sec. Raul Gonzales, as well the P728 million fertilizer fund scam, the P3.1 billion irrigation scam, the NBN-ZTE deal and the Spratlys deal. Lastly, the third cross is feudalism with the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), the stock distribution option (SDO), the corporative scheme, agrarian reform communities (ARC), joint ventures and Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco under it,” said Mariano.
 

“The farmers are also doing the Kalbaryo to call for a complete stop to the massive land use conversion of agricultural lands into residential areas as what is happening in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan particularly in Tungkong Mangga and Montalban, Rizal. In Montalban it is Mayor Pedro Cuerpo himself is the one forcing farmers out of their land, while in Bulacan, the Aranetas are the culprits,” added the peasant leader.
“Our members will today visit and pray at the Commission on Human Rights, the Department of Agrarian Reform, the Department of Agriculture, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency, to show them the real plight of the peasantry and our call for the passing of the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (HB 3059) and the scrapping of the CARP,” ended Mariano. # # #

Download statement

News Release
March 6, 2008
Reference: Ka Willy Marbella, deputy secretary general for internal affairs, KMP and NO DEAL convenor

“Increasing number of poor Filipinos is Gloria’s fault!”-KMP
RP-China deals and JPEPA will worsen it

The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) pointed out that the increase in the number of poor Filipinos can be attributed to the anti-poor and anti-people policies and schemes of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo like globalization, the EVAT and the numerous scams that her administration is involved in like the P728 million fertilizer scam, P3.1 billion irrigation scam and the $329 million ZTE deal.
 

According to Ka Willy Marbella , deputy secretary general for internal affairs of KMP and NO DEAL convenor, “It is with Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’ s policy of all out neo-liberalism that has put many of our country men to the pits of poverty. Being the biggest part of our population farmers are the hardest hit. No amount of strong republic and sound economic fundamentals rhetoric can change that,”
 

“By totally liberalizing the agricultural sector, tons of surplus agricultural products have been dumped in the Philippines , competing with our local products and pushing farmers to starvation. Since 1999 we have an increasing agricultural trade deficit of US$3.5 billion. It is also with this policy that they have forced many farmers to plant high value crops like bananas, mangoes, pineapples and flowers thereby lowering the extent of the land allotted for our staple food like rice and corn, but still they cannot compete with the foreign products. As of now at least 110,000 hectares of our lands are controlled by Dole and Del Monte that are exclusively for pineapple and banana plants, while peasants are being displaced from their lands” said Marbella .
 

“With the RP-China Agricultural deals and the Japan-Philippines Economic Partnership Agreements (JPEPA) at least 1.5 million hectares will be given to the Chinese and Japanese for jatropha plantations and the expansion of banana and pineapple plantations. It is with this set up that we have become a net importer of rice and agricultural products under the World Trade Organization (WTO). These are the primary reasons for the food insecurity of our country as well as the poverty of majority of our population and not the increasing prices of food,” added the peasant leader.
 

“The only solution to this problem is the implementation of genuine agrarian reform and giving farmers sufficient support services so that that they can increase their yield using natural fertilizers. This will also increase the purchasing power of peasants and the money will be circulated in the economy. With this the food security of the Philippines will improve and the country will prosper as well,” ended Marbella . # # #

Download statement

■   Militant peasants chide VP de Castro for being too eager to be president

■   “Increasing number of poor Filipinos is Gloria’s fault!”-KMP; RP-China deals and JPEPA will worsen it

■   “RP-China agri. deals and JPEPA will worsen food crisis!”-KMP

■   “RP-China Spratlys deal tantamount to treason!”-KMP

■   “Rice scam probe should be done by independent body not Sec. Yap!”-KMP

Home