PRESS RELEASE
September 29, 2010
Reference:
Axel Pinpin, KASAMA – TK Secretary-General (0929-135-9636)
Roy Morilla, KMP Public Information Officer (0907-418-0098)

Neglected farmers burn pictures of Aquino on the 10-day countdown to his 100th day as president

“We tried to reach him, send him our demands, plead for fundamental reforms, but we were violently dispersed at Mendiola, and he mentioned nothing about land reform on his speeches, totally ignored us farmers and continued killing and arresting us,” said Axel Pinpin, Secretary-General of Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (KASAMA – TK) of their experience nearing the first 100 days of president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III.

KASAMA – TK and the militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas) declared in a press conference at their camp-out in front of the Dept. of Agrarian Reform that farmers would flood Mendiola on the 100th day of Aquino as president.

“Our bases are clear, Aquino has no plans of effecting change or serving the interest of the Filipino peasants. Poor Filipinos are not his bosses, but the rich and powerful landlords, compradors and US imperialism, from this day onwards, we would be burning pictures of Aquino as symbol of our protest against his anti-peasant and anti-people policies,” said Antonio Flores, KMP Spokesperson and Co-convenor of the human rights group Tanggol Magsasaka (Peasant Network for Land, Justice and Human Rights).

The groups have been on camp-out since Aquino’s inaugural on June 30 to call for the distribution of hacienda lands, particularly Hacienda Yulo and Hacienda Looc in Southern Tagalog and Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac province. KASAMA – TK said that peasants have been continuously subjected to landgrabbing and displacements and their farms to massive land use conversions (LUCs).

“We are very disappointed of Aquino’s attitude towards farmers. After violently dispersing us on July 3, instead of promising land reform, he planned for Public-Private Partnership on his State-of-the-Nation Address (SONA) last July 26 that definitely would lead to more displacement of farmers. In Southern Tagalog, big landlords continue to keep control over vast hacienda lands and they plan on kicking out our members to pave way for LUCs, such as into residential or industrial estates, or even eco-tourism projects,” said Pinpin of KASAMA – TK.

KASAMA – TK, aside from Hacienda Yulo and Hacienda Looc, is calling for the distribution of Hacienda Roxas and Hacienda Puyat in Nasugbu, Batangas, Hacienda Agoncillo in Laurel town, Hacienda Zobel and lands in Bgy. Hukay both in Calatagan, in province of Batangas. The group said that the haciendas range from hundreds of hectares to as large as 12,000-hectares affecting tens to hundreds of thousands of farmers.

The peasant groups vowed daily protest actions starting October 1 to October 8. Their 10-day countdown was kicked off with a protest program in front of DAR and the symbolic burning of Aquino’s pictures. It would also be composed of protest actions at Times Street, Mendiola bridge in Manila and agencies involved in peasant issues.

In addition, KMP’s Flores added that Aquino not just ignored the peasants’ grievances but consciously implemented policies detrimental to their interest. He primarily cited that Aquino continued the implementation of Republic Act 9700 the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with ‘Reforms’ or CARPer.

“CARPer is worse than CARP, that has displaced countless peasants off their farms and preserve the control of landlords over vast lands. Aquino based his seemingly empty promise that he would distribute Hacienda Luisita in 5 years on CARPer,” Flores said.

“Aquino has also abdicated his duties as president when he took a ‘hands-off’ policy on the issue of Hacienda Luisita. He should have push for the revocation of the Stock Distribution Option (SDO) as this was the official decision of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) that heads. It is either his intention is to serve his family to keep control over Luisita or he played dumb about it,” he added.

KMP has recently consulted with its 15 regional chapters that unanimously acknowledged that Aquino has not brought fundamental reform in the country. Altogether, they have confronted anti-peasant measures such as landgrabbing, displacement, militarization, mining, cancellations of Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOAs), criminalization of agrarian cases and more. The regional organizations affirmed that Aquino is hopeless for the peasants and his policies and programs should be dealt head on.

“During the period of his first 100 days as president, there is no indication of reform, peasants remained landless and continued to be targets of fascist attack such as extra-judicial killings and massive militarization,” Flores said.

Flores said that peasant victims of extra-judicial killings under Aquino’s watch now reach to 10, with the 77-year-old Pascual Guevarra as the first, killed last July 9, inside the Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation (FMMR) in Laur, Nueva Ecija. In addition, killed were 2 in Paquibato District, Davao City, 4 were massacred in Mobo, Masbate, a coconut farmer in Compostela Valley and 2 in Antipolo, Rizal on September 19. KMP added that Dario Tomada, a peasant leader from SAGUPA – SB (KMP Eastern Visayas) was arrested on July 22 and accused falsely of the alleged “mass graves” in Leyte.

“There is no doubt that Aquino is a true-blue haciendero, in power only to preserve the feudal control of his class and serve US imperialism. Aside from the peasants, many sectors were affected by the continuing oil price hikes, budget cuts on social services, demolition of houses of urban poor, imminent increase of toll fees, rates of light rail transits and utilities, prices of basic goods are incessantly increasing. Aquino is useless to prevent this anti-people measures,” Flores said.

The groups called for heightened protest actions, primarily the peasantry as Aquino has no plan of implementing a genuine land reform program. Aquino is also bound to implement economic programs that prioritize foreign interests rather of the people.

“Aquino should quit playing games and eating hotdogs, instead, hasten plans of reforms if he really has one. His artificial popularity should not act like illegal drugs and he should immediately do concrete actions that would benefit the people. Otherwise, by the end of October his popularity would be as less as the number of his hair right now, inversely proportional to the number of Filipinos protesting against his government,” Flores dared. #
 

Farmers stage protest - Phil. Star news

GMA TV7 news video of protest
 

Sa Ngalan (Dalangin Ng Sakada)
ni Mark Joseph Rafal

Ssa ngalan ng ama at ng ina mo
at ng espiritu ng kamag-anak inc.
amen.

Ama namin,
sumasalangit ka,
sambahin ang mga tubo.
Mapapasaamin ang kaharian ng mga Cojuangco.
Susundin namin ang sikdo ng aming dugo.
Ang Asyenda Luisita'y siyang amin nang langit.
Bigyan mo po kami ngayon
ng libu-libong matatalim na karit at balaraw.
At patawarin mo po kami
at kami'y magkakasala.
Sapagkat 'di na namin mapapatawad,
kanilang pang-aalipi't pananamantala.
At hayaan niyo pong kami'y humalik sa tukso,
nagbabadya po kaming lipulin ang masasama.

Amen.

sa ngalan ng ama at ng ina mo
at ng espiritu ng kamag-anak inc.
amen.
 

Doon po sa amin
ni Ayie Montalban

Doon po sa amin
sa Sitio San Roque,
May buwayang gutom
Papet na may gahom.

Pinalo-pinaluka,
payapa ang daga,
Itakwil ang tama,
Utos ni Bathala.

Doon po sa amin
sa Sitio San Roque,
May mga burukratang
kapital ay sinamba.

Binenta ang masa,
Kapalit ang pera,
Nagtanggol ang masa,
Napigil ang amba.

Doon po sa amin
sa Sitio San Roque,
May mga negosyanteng
kaaway sa uri.

 

Gahaman sa tubo
Uutang ng dugo
Huwag lang mabigo
Ayala na tuso.

Doon po sa amin
sa Sitio San Roque,
May 'syam na libong
pamilyang pulubi

Kapag pinayagan
ang Demolisyon
Maghari ang Poong
bubunot ng Muhon

Doon po sa amin
sa Sitio San Roque,
Tatlumpo't limang libo
ang magtatagumpay

Kapag sama-sama
lupa'y mapapakanila
Maghahari'ng Masa
Hakbang sa paglaya!
 

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Lalabas rin ang tunay na kulay-kalawang sa ilalim ng makislap-na-dilaw na pinagkukublihan ni Aquino.

Ipatupad ang Tunay na Reporma sa Lupa!

Buwagin ang mga Hacienda sa Bansa!

Ibasura ang Kontra-Magsasakang CARPER (RA 9700)!

Isabatas ang HB 374! Isabatas ang GARB!

Pagkukulong at Pagpaslang sa Magsasaka, Itigil at Labanan!

Itigil ang Kriminalisasyon sa mga Kasong Agraryo!

Militar sa Kanayunan, Palayasin!

KASAMA-TK

Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan

Agosto 6, 2010

PATULOY NA ILANTAD ANG MAKA-HACIENDERONG REHIMENG US-AQUINO!

LABANAN ANG HUWAD AT HIGIT NA MAPAMINSALANG CARPER!

MAKIBAKA PARA SA PAGKAKAMIT NG TUNAY NA REPORMANG AGRARYO!

Ngayong ika-7 ng Agosto ay ipagdiriwang ng Department of Agrarian Reform ang anibersaryo ng pagpapalawig ng huwad at mapaminsalang reporma sa lupa – ang CARPER (Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms). Ang militanteng kilusang magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan sa halip na magdiwang ay mas lalong paiigtingin ang pakikibaka upang ilantad ang kabulukan at ipakita ang disgusto ng mga magsasaka sa CARPER. Ang huwad na CARP na tumagal na nang 20 taon, sa kabila ng pagiging inutil nito ay pinalawig pa na siyang naging daan sa pagpapalayas ng libu-libong  magsasaka ng rehiyon at pagpapalit-gamit sa mga lupaing agrikultural tungo sa pook-panturismo at iba pang gamit na naglilingkod lamang sa mga dayuhan.

Mga Tampok na Kaso sa Lupa sa Timog Katagalugan.

Sa mga nabanggit na kaso pa lamang ay aabot na sa 63,123 ektaryang lupain ang maililipat ang gamit mula sa pinagkukunan natin ng pagkain tungo sa kapakinabangan ng mga dayuhan at iilang mayayaman. Hindi pa rito kasama ang daan-daang kasong usapin sa lupa sa rehiyon, pagpapatunay lamang na ang CARP ay hungkag at nagsisilbi sa interes ng mga dayuhan at iilang mayayamang kapitalista.

Walang pagbabago at inilalakong makabuluhang reporma ang CARPER. Sa halip, lalo nitong pinasahol ang huwad na CARP. Sapagkat umiiral pa ang CARP o RA 6657, taglay pa rin ng CARPER ang saligang maka-panginoong maylupang katangian nito. Nananatili ang CARPER bilang instrumento ng malalaking panginoong maylupa sa higit pang pagpapalakas at pagpapahigpit ng kanilang pag-aari, kontrol, at monopolyo sa malalawak na lupaing agrikultural ng bansa.

Umiiral pa rin ang mga eksempsyon ng malalawak na lupain at hacienda na pag-aari at kontrolado ng malalaking panginoong maylupa, mga korporasyong pag-aari din nila, mga plantasyon at agro-korporasyong dayuhan.

Marahas at Madugo ang Daang Tuwid ng Hacienderong Pangulo

Hindi pa man pormal na nakakaupo si Noynoy, iilang araw matapos ang eleksyon ay dalawang (2) insidente agad ng mararahas na pagbuwag sa kampuhan at kubuhan ng magsasaka ang naganap sa rehiyon. Una ay noong Mayo 21 sa bantayan ng mga magsasaka sa Sitio Buntog, Bgy. Canlubang sa Calamba City at ikalawa ay noong Hunyo 3 sa 21 ginibang kubuhan ng maralitang magsasaka sa Sitio Bangcal, Bgy. Bulihan sa Hacienda Looc sa Nasugbu, Batangas.

Hindi pa nasapatan, kalaunan ay nagdeploy ng militar at pulis sa parehong komunidad na ngayo’y siyang upahang armadong elemento ng mga panginoong maylupa at land developer. Naghahasik ang mga ito ng teror sa mga magbubukid at black propaganda laban sa mga organisasyong magsasaka. Hinaharang din nila ang paglabas ng mga produktong bukid papunta sa mga pamilihan.

Lalo namang tunay na kasumpa-sumpa ang ginawang marahas at brutal na pagbuwag ng may hindi bababa sa 200-pulis sa Kampuhang Magsasaka sa paanan ng tulay ng Mendiola noong hapon ng Hulyo 3, 2010 sa pagkukunwang magsasagawa ng clearing operation ang mahigit sa 50-trabahador ng Manila City Engineering Office.

Noong ika-11 ng Hulyo, pinaslang si Tatay Pascual Guevara ng Nueva Ecija, ang kauna-unahang lider-magsasaka na biktima ng extra-judicial killing sa panahon ng rehimen ni Noynoy. Sa araw ding ito ay ilegal na dinakip si Edi Cruz, isang katutubong Dumagat sa Rizal at nananatiling nakakulong sa bintang na siya ay kasapi ng New People’s Army.

Hulyo 19, tatlong (3) katutubong Dumagat ang pinaslang ng pinaghihinalaang mga sundalo sa Rizal. Sila ay sina Benita San Jose, Demilita Largo at Edward Navarte.

Hindi pa nga umiinit-ang-puwit ng bagong rehimen sa pagkakaupo sa Malakanyang ay

kaagad nang nakatikim ang mamamayan ng kalupitang maari nitong kasadlakan sa susunod na anim na taon.

SONA ni Noynoy – Maka-Haciendero, Maka-Kapitalista at Kontra-Mamamayan

Matapos ang unang State of the Nation Address ni Aquino, lalong nalantad ang pusturang maka-haciendero at maka-kapitalista ng bagong rehimen. Litaw-na-litaw ang pagsasaalang-alang ni Aquino sa nagdaang rehimen. Hindi niya diretsong matukoy ang mga krimen nito at walang konkretong marching order, kagaya ng kanyang paboritong sabihin, kung paano kakasuhan at paparusahan si Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo at ang mga kasapakat nito sa pandarambong ng yaman ng bansa at sa napakahabang rekord ng paglabag sa karapatang pantao ng mamamayan sa loob ng 9-na-taon.

Iniwasan at/o sadyang walang-imik si Aquino kung paano haharapin ang malaong problema sa lupa na patuloy na nagpapahirap sa mahigit 70% ng populasyong Pilipino. Ang sinsero at mapagpasyang pagpapatupad lamang ng tunay na repormang agraryo ang puputol sa tanikala ng pagka-alipin ng mga maralita sa kanayunan.

Kung ang sariling hacienda ni Aquino ay hindi niya kayang ipamahagi, anong ehemplo at padron ang iiwan nito sa kapwa niya panginoong maylupa? Anong marching order ang lilikhain nito sa kanyang Department of Agrarian Reform?

Walang ilusyon ang uring anakpawis at maralita sa kanayunan ng Timog Katagalugan na dadalahin ni Aquino sa tamang landas ng pagbabago ang bansa.

Malinaw-na-malinaw sa SONA ni Aquino na ang Daang Tuwid na kanyang tinutukoy ay paghawan ng kalsada para sa kanyang among imperyalistang U.S. at mga dayuhang kapitalista, mga bussiness partner na kapwa haciendero at panginoong maylupa, at mga burukrata sa gobyernong malalapit niyang kamag-anak at kaibigan.

Walang binanggit ang SONA ni Aquino tungkol sa maralita ng kanayunan. Wala siyang plano na makasabay sa paglalakbay sa kanyang Daang Tuwid ang malawak na sambayanang maralita at inaapi. Bagkus sa maagang rekord ng kanyang paglabag sa karapatang pantao, dugo ng mga biktima ng extra-judicial killing ang kanyang ibinubo at ginawang pampatibay ng pundasyon ng kanyang Daang Tuwid

Kung gayo’y nananatiling sa nagkakaisang sariling lakas ng mamamayan nakasalalay ang tunay na pagbabago. Sa okasyon ng unang taong anibersaryo ng pagsasabatas ng RA 9700 o CARPER, iguguhit na ng kilusang magbubukid sa rehiyon ang makauring pagtatakwil sa rehimeng US-Aquino habang patuloy pa ring inilalantad ang katangian nito upang maipaunawa sa nag-iilusyon pang mamamayan na malao’t-madali ay malalantad ang pagiging sunud-sunuran ni Aquino sa dikta ng imperyalistang U.S. bilang tagapagpatupad ng interes ng kapwa niya panginoong maylupa sa loob ng gobyernong patatakbuhin din niyang katulad ng isang malaking negosyo.

x

TANGGOL MAGSASAKA
Peasant Network for LAND, JUSTICE and HUMAN RIGHTS

Press Release
September 30, 2010
For reference: Antonio Flores, KMP Spokesperson and Co-Convenor, Tanggol Magsasaka

Peasants declare Aquino’s first 100 days as “100 Days of Human Rights Abuses against Peasants”

The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP, Peasant Movement of the Philippines), its regional chapters Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luzon (AMGL, KMP Central Luzon), Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (KASAMA – TK, KMP Southern Tagalog) and Tanggol Magsasaka (Peasant Network for Land, Justice and Human Rights) declared president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III’s first 100 days as president as “100 Days of Human Rights Abuses against Peasants.” This is due to that extra-judicial killings remain unabated even under the Aquino government who promised “change” and claimed could bring out reforms in the country. The groups said that peasant victims now reach to 10, making the average as 1 per 10 days on Aquino’s 100th day as president on October 9.

KMP and Tanggol Magsasaka said that the Aquino has exposed himself as having no plans of a genuine land reform program, instead, he is pushing for the Public-Private Partnership which the groups claimed would worsen dislocation among farmers and massive land-use conversions (LUCs).

“Aquino is a goner, the Filipino peasantry lost patience and it is very clear as the blue sky that he is an adversary of our interest and protector of big landlords, feudal control over vast lands. Thus, we firmly believe that extra-judicial killings are part of his fascist attack on the peasants who struggle for land and justice,” said Antonio Flores, KMP Spokesperson and Tanggol Magsasaka Co-Convenor.

“Aquino treated us farmers as nobody, saying nothing on land reform on his inaugural and SONA speeches, as if there is no agrarian unrest in the country. In addition, human rights violations continued such as the EJK of Pascual Guevarra on July 9, a senior leader of ALMANA 3,100 (peasant organization inside the 3,100-hectares of Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation), then the serial killings in Southern Mindanao region, the massacre in Masbate and Antipolo,” Flores said.

Tanggol Magsasaka reported that followed the killing of Pascual, farmers Julius Tamondes and Naldo Labrador of Paquibato District, Davao City were killed August 12 and September 3, respectively. These was followed by the killing of Vicente Felisilda on September 9, in Compostela Valley. The September 7 massacre in Mobo town, Masbate killed farmers Vicente Flores, 41, Richard Oliva, 44, Melencio Monacelio, 45 and Jonathan Monacelio, a 21-year-old high school student. The most recent was the killing of certain Robert and Junior in Antipolo, Rizal.

Aside from extra-judicial killing, Tanggol Magsasaka said that political persecution continued such as the ‘arrest and detention’ of Dario Tomada on July 22. He is being implicated to the alleged “mass murder” in Inopacan, Leyte. KMP and Tanggol Magsasaka is resolutely campaigning for the immediate release of Tomada and the organizer of agricultural workers Felicidad Caparal who was arrested on January 27, 2009 and remained incarcerated in Northern Samar until present.

Moreover, KMP and AMGL is steadfast on calling for justice for the victims of the Hacienda Luisita massacre and extra-judicial killings that followed. A youth-leader inside the hacienda, Ronald Intal was abducted and still missing until now. The groups demanded the Aquino government to immediately surface him. The groups added that they are calling for an end of an attempt to Rudolfo Sambajon’s life, a peasant leader from AMGL – Bataan. He escaped the attempt of assailants last September 11 to 13 in Bataan.

KMP and its regional chapters are calling for the immediate stop to extra-judicial killings and massive militarization such as in Quezon in Southern Tagalog, Samar in Eastern Visayas and in the provinces of Southern Mindanao region. The groups said that the military operations are the very means of rights abuses against peasants, usually threatening them and accusing them of members or supporters of the New People’s Army (NPA).

“This is what we get from the grandstanding and lipservice Aquino did during the elections? Promising change and using his parents, depicting them as icons of democracy, but now already in power, oppression and exploitation to poor Filipinos such as the peasants continue grossly,” Flores asked.

Aside from the recent abuses on peasants, the groups are still calling for justice for Eddie Gumanoy, peasant leader from Southern Tagalog, killed on April 22, 2003 during “the butcher” Maj. Gen. Jovito Palparan’s stint in Mindoro island. Peasant leaders Renato Pacaide from SOCCSKSARGENDS region, Dioniso Battad and Arturo Orpilla from Cagayan Valley, Fermin Lorico from Negros Oriental, Celso Pojas from Davao City and more others became victims of extra-judicial killings under the Arroyo government. The group added that Nilo Arado, peasant leader from Panay region and Jonas Burgos from Bulacan who was abducted on April 12 and 23, 2007, respectively. They remain missing until now.

“Aquino has abandoned the Filipino people, thus, he is being abandoned even by his own supporters during elections. Some church sectors are now supporting Hacienda Luisita farmworkers as obviously the greed-full Cojuangco-Aquinos only want to preserve their feudal control over the 6,453-hectare estate,” Flores said.

The groups are griping on Aquino’s idleness on the issues, not persecuting former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and worse, extending Oplan Bantay Laya, Arroyo’s very counter-insurgency program, until next year.

“Aquino is hopeless and peasants could not expect him to promote justice and protection of basic rights. He is an advocate of oppression, poverty and injustice. Thus, when we call for justice and freedom, we call on the people’s sectors to support our call and shove the meaning of our actions into Aquino’s head,” he added.

“Considering all of these and absolutely nothing from the Aquino government, we are to join the irate protest marking his first 100 days as president on October 8 at Mendiola. We would hold vigil as early as October 6 for others to join us and see how serious we are to engage Aquino for his mediocrity and oppression to peasants,” Flores said. #


 

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PRESS STATEMENT

SEPTEMBER 30, 2010

QUEZON CITY

Stop military atrocities against leaders and members of people’s organizations in Central Luzon

Reference:    Sr. Cecile C. Ruiz, Chairperson

KARAPATAN-Gitnang Luson

                   CP No. 09175960578

                   Joseph Canlas, Chairperson

Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson

                   CP No. 09182335050

                   Roman L. Polintan, Chairperson

Bagong Alyansang Makabayan-Gitnang Luson (BAYAN-GL)

CP No. 09272223418

We condemn in the strongest possible terms the continuing military violence perpetrated against progressive people’s organizations in Central Luzon.

Some may have thought that the dark years of military terror and culture of impunity that attended the more than 9 years of the Arroyo regime have come to an end with the coming to power of President Noynoy Aquino. But the chilling experiences of our leaders and members indicate the resurgence of military atrocities against civilians under the present Aquino administration.

Just recently, Rodolfo Sambajon, MAKABAYAN-Bataan secretary-general and former national chair of PAMALAKAYA, a fisherfolk organization, was hunted down by 7 armed men who claimed to be policemen from Orion, Bataan.

Sambajon was first accosted and threatened on September 11, 2010 by two armed men riding in tandem in a motorcycle while he was waiting for a bus ride back home after a meeting with leaders of SMMB (Samahan ng Magsasaka at Mamamayan ng Bangad), held at Sitio Bangad, General Lim, Orion, Bataan.

But the presence of some members of the SMMB and other people prevented them from carrying out their evil intent. Sambajon managed to elude them on board a tricycle that sped away to safety, while being chased by four men riding in tandem on two motorcycles. Unable to catch up with the speeding tricycle, the armed men, this time joined by 3 others, went back and threatened members of the SMMB for some information about him. For 3 consecutive days, the 7 armed men surveyed and kept close watch of Sambajon’s house with the clear intent to get him.

The attempt on Sambajon’s life followed a more gruesome attack on a peasant leader in Nueva Ecija. On July 9, 2010, at around 4:30 in the afternoon, Pascual Gabuyo Guevarra, 78, Chair of the Alyansa ng Magsasakang Nagkakaisa ng 31,000-FMMR (ALMANA), convennor of Samahan ng mga Biktima ng Kalamidad sa Nueva Ecija (SBK-NE) and  leader of the Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Association (ARBA) was gunned down by two motorcycle-riding men while he was doing some household chores at his home in Brgy. San Isidro, Laur, Nueva Ecija. He sustained two gunshot wounds on his chest, killing him instantly.

The attack also resulted in the wounding of Guevarra’s grandson, 18-year old student Ronnel Viloria, who was also shot by the assassin while he was wrestling with the latter.

Previous to this, on June 26, 2010, the Convent of the Catholic Church, Nuestra Senora de la Salvacion in Brgy. Bianoan, Casiguran, Aurora, was strafed with bullets resulting to destruction of church properties. This was allegedly perpetrated by elements of the 48^th IBPA, with headwuarters at Brgy. Calabuanan, Baler, Aurora. By all indications, the strafing was intended to threaten and intimidate the parish priest, Fr. Jose Francisco (Fr. Joefran) for his leading the people of Aurora in the struggle against the APECO project located in Brgys. Dibet and Esteves, Casiguran, Aurora.

Even in President Noynoy Aquino’s backyard, the Cojuangco-Aquino clan-owned Hacienda Luisita, military operations against the farm workers have continued without let up. Military detachments manned by CAFGU’s and operating under the direction of the Philippine Army’s 701^st Brigade and the 71^st IB have been set up in almost all of the 10 barangays that comprise the Hacienda.  Almost on a daily basis,and with clockwork regularity, the military and the CAFGU paramilitary units conduct intelligence, surveillance, intended to threaten, intimidate and harass the farm workers and leaders of the United Luisita Workers Union (ULWU), AMBALA, local youth organization as well as progressive people’s organizations and partylist groups supporting their struggle against the SDO and the CARPer Law and for redistribution of the land to the rightful beneficiaries.

These unabated military atrocities are clear indication that the Oplan Bantay Laya(OBL) is still in place despite its being defeated by the people’s militant struggles. There is no doubt that the Aquino administration is trying to rework this counter-insurgency program to conform with the US Interagenncy Counter-Agency Initiative (COIN) to frustrate the people’s struggle for land, justice, freedom and democracy. The COIN was jointly formulated by the USAID, the US Secretary of Defense and the US Secretary of State and now being dictated for adoption by US allies and client states.

We challenge the Aquino administration to stop the military atrocities in Central Luzon and the entire country even as we call on the Filipino people to continue to defeat the OBL or its reengineered version. ###

Philippines: 66 year old peasant leader led colleagues in storming Aquino’s Palace
By Axel Pinpin and Gerry Albert Corpuz

MANILA, Philippines -Sixty six year old fisherfolk activist Pedro Gonzalez led 29 other farmer and fisherfolk leaders from Southern Tagalog in conducting an all rural people’s lightning rally or surprise rally some 200 meters near Malacanang Palace to denounce President Benigno Simeon “Noynoy” Aquino III and his running policy of land reform denials and political repression in the region.

Gonzalez, survivor of the ambush staged by elements of death squad allegedly back the Southern Luzon Command (Solcom) of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) during the May 2004 elections, along with farmer and fisherfolk leaders aging from 50 to 60 years old and all members of theKatipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (Kasama-TK) and Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas-Timog Katagalugan (Pamalakaya-TK) trooped to the heavily guarded gate of Malacanang to warn Aquino of “intensified peasant war” over the President’s failure to address the land problem in Southern Tagalog.

“If Aquino wants war, we will give him war. There’s no turning back. They can’t stop me and the rural people from fighting for land and justice. His first 100 days in office is checkered with agrarian injustice, scores of human rights violations, triple platinum corruption and extreme disregard of people’s rights and welfare. This regime of Aquino is doomed,” added Gonzalez.

The “lightning rally” in Malacanang which is usually staged by student activists, will be the first time for Gonzalez and his group of senior farmer and rural leaders and the third protest launched by the groups this week onward the 10-day countdown of protest to Aquino’s first 100 days in office.

Gonzalez, also the secretary general of Pamalakaya-TK said he and other leaders will try to enter Malacanang to demand official responses from the President regarding on a set of concrete demands they submitted to the Office of the President on July 1, a day after Aquino was sworn into office as the 15th President of the Republic.

Among the demands they submitted to President Aquino three months ago was the immediate and free distribution of Ayala controlled lands in Southern Tagalog. Gonzalez said the set of demands received by Malacanang on July 1 include agrarian disputes in the 7,100 hectare Hacienda Yulo in Barangay Canlubang, Calamba City, Laguna.

 

Kasama-TK had also asked Aquino to act on the demand of some 10,000 farmer beneficiaries in Hacienda Looc to distribute for free the 8,650 hectare prime agricultural estate Hacienda Looc in Nasugbu, Batangas and other haciendas in Southern Tagalog region controlled by the Ayala-Zobel family, which the group said was staunch ally of President Aquino.
 

“President Aquino, the Cojuangco-Aquino feudal clique and the Ayala-Zobel monopoly of land estates are conspiring to eject farmers so they could enjoy lifetime control and exploitation of lands in many parts of the region. This is the real story told several times but Noynoy remains unperturbed. Let us see in the next succeeding days of his presidency if he could still withstand the raging outrage from the countryside,” the farmer group warned.

Kasama-TK and Pamalakaya-TK also supported the call of 10,000 farm worker beneficiaries in Hacienda Luisita to have the sugar estate distributed immediately and for free. “President Aquino is the President of Hacienda Republic. The sugar barons and the rest of the feudal aristocrats and oligarchies in this country are further emboldened by Aquino’s national policy of rejection of peasant land rights and across-the-nation pattern of wholesale landgrabbing,” the groups noted.

Earlier, the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and Kasama-TK burned 100 pictures of President Aquino during a press conference held in front of the office of Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Quezon City. The burning of 100 Aquino photos was a symbolic outrage against the 50-year old president’s inaction to agrarian complaints the farmers filed before Malacanang and the agrarian department beginning July 1 this year.

Citing a report filed by Ibon Foundation, the KMP said as of December 2006, DAR has cancelled at least 108,141 CLOAs and Emancipation Patents (EPs) involving 204,579 hectares. CLOA and EP cancellations are increased by 3,790% from 1995 data of 2,780, while land area increased by 1,162% from 16, 213 hectares. Of the cancellations, majority or 87% were due to subdivision of mother-CLOAs into individual CLOAs. It involved about 82% of the lands to 167,486 hectares.

“President Aquino should be called the Father of Haciendero in this country and the current no.1 enemy of the Filipino farmers”, the KMP said.