Buffalo-Tamaraw-Limus (BTL) Farmers file charges vs CMU officials, August 8, 2011

Buffalo-Tamaraw-Limus (BTL) Farmers file charges vs CMU officials

Bukidnon

August 8, 2011

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Exactly 10:55 this morning, the Buffalo-Tamaraw-Limus (BTL) Farmers Association went to the Mindanao Regional Office of the Ombudsman to file charges of grave abuse of authority, conduct unbecoming of public official, grave coercion, grave threats and physical injuries to Central Mindanao University (CMU) officials and its hired security guards. This is in relation to the human rights violations perpetrated by CMU during the BTL farmers Operation Tikad (till) and the June 14 shooting incident.

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Photos courtesy of AMIHAN - Northern Mindanao Region


x Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Northern Mindanao Region Minvizcon Bldg., IFI Compound, Bulua 9000 Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines Email: kmp_nmr@yahoo.com Tel. No.: (088) 850-5854 Press Release August 8, 2011 Demand for justice: BTL farmers file charges against CMU admin “We have to remain resolute and vigilant in our aim to defend our rights,” – Winnie Loable, chairperson BTL Farmers Association. Exactly 10:55 this morning, the Buffalo-Tamaraw-Limus (BTL) Farmers Association went to the Mindanao Regional Office of the Ombudsman to file charges of grave abuse of authority, conduct unbecoming of public official, grave coercion, grave threats and physical injuries to Central Mindanao University (CMU) officials and its hired security guards. This is in relation to the human rights violations perpetrated by CMU during the BTL farmers Operation Tikad (till) and the June 14 shooting incident. Farmers of BTL exclaimed that it is legitimate to file administrative and criminal case against CMU. Public institutions such as CMU should observe the law since it is a state university; however its officials were the primary violators. It has also been noted that the university are spreading derogatory statements against the farmers – saying that these farmers are mere squatters. It also emphasized that it has no intentions to lease the lands of CMU and that the 400 hectares of land are intended for their academic and laboratory purposes. But Dolores Gugudan, chairperson of BTL Women’s Association said that Davao Agri-Ventures Corporation (DAVCO) with its representatives freely roaming and conducting its survey inside the BTL community. "They are trying to convince the farmers to accept their proposal of leasing the lands. But with their plans, it is not only the BTL farmers who will be affected – the Indigenous Peoples' communities and other farmers within the CMU lands will also be involved. We are guarding against the possibility that these lands, used for the production of food for the Filipino people will be used for commercial crop plantation,” Gugudan added. Moreover, KMP Nmr and Amihan Nmr, together with other farmers from BTL and Misamis Oriental staged a silent protest outside the Ombudsman Office in CDO to extend their utmost support in our demand for justice. For reference: Richard Colao KMP-NMR General Secretary 09153347924 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Demanding Justice: BTL farmers file admin charges vs CMU officials, et al 08 August 2011--Exactly 10:55 a.m today, farmers of Buffalo-Tamaraw-Limus filed charges of grave abuse of authority, conduct unbecoming of public official, grave coercion, grave threats and physical injuries to Central Mindanao University officials and its hired security guards. This is in relation to the human rights violations perpetrated by CMU during the BTL farmers Operation Tikad (tilling) and the June 14 shooting incident. Adding to the pressure the Central Mindanao University is putting on the farmers, the university has been spreading discriminatory statements against the BTL children enrolled in CMU. To avoid harassments, the children were forced to change their address, denying that they are part of the BTL Community. Last week, personnel from the Davao Agricultural Ventures Corporation (DAVCO) was attempting to talk to BTL members, dissuading them from continuing their fight. "They are trying to convince the farmers to accept their proposal of leasing the lands. But with their plans, it is not only the BTL farmers who will be affected – the Indigenous Peoples' communities and other farmers within the CMU lands will also be involved," said Dolores Gogodan, Chair of the BTL Women's Association. CMU maintains that they do not have plans of leasing the lands to multi-national companies but the DAVCO personnel are freely roaming BTL areas,trying to persuade people. "We are guarding against them. We are guarding against the possibility that these lands, used for the production of food for the Filipino people will be used for commercial crop plantations. We have to gain wisdom from the experiences of the communities whose lands were destroyed by these plantations," Gogodan further added. Please click the link below: http://www.rmp-nmr.org/index.php/demanding-justice-btl-farmers-file-admin-charges-vs-cmu-officials-et-al.asp









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			x Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Northern Mindanao Region Minvizcon Bldg., IFI Compound, Bulua 9000 Cagayan de Oro City, Philippines Email: kmp_nmr@yahoo.com Tel. No.: (088) 850-5854 PRESS RELEASE From Buffalo-Tamaraw-Limus(BTL) Farmers Association August 6, 2011 BTL farmers remain steadfast, refuse to be deceived and intimidated by continuous threats Barely a month after the CMU’s Board of Regents allowed the BTL farmers to till their lands for another six months, 16 armed men went to their communities on August 4. They introduced themselves to be members of the Regional Police Intelligence, looking for a certain Commander Lawin. They did not extend the courtesy of informing the village leaders of their purpose. The BTL farmers are outraged with this intrusion. “We are wary of this tactic,” said Winnie Loable, chairperson of the BTL. “They are setting the premise that there could be lawless persons in our communities. We are suspicious that in the future they would use this as reason to fire at any of our members, parroting the already cliché explanation used by the military – that there were rebels who provoked them into a gunfight. And apparently, it is not just the CMU guards now who freely enter our communities, fully armed, intimidating the people. The police have joined in too.” Two weeks ago, the BTL farmers received a formal invitation from the office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Council), specifically from the Peace and Order Committee headed by Hon. Jay Albarece, to attend their session. The invitation, according to the letter, was in response to the copy of the reports the CMU Chief Security, George Gewan sent to CMU President, Maria Luisa Soliven. “The BTL farmers are happy that the Sangguniang Panlalawigan is taking time to attend to the problem of the BTL. But we hope that the office understands that our struggle is a serious agrarian problem. We do not want it to be trivialized as a Peace and Order problem, the farmers accused of unruly actions. We reiterate that we are not the threats to security. We are the ones threatened,” said Loable. The BTL maintains that the government unit of Bukidnon was able to follow their struggle through Vice Governor Jose Maria Zubiri, the chairman of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan. Vice Gov. Zubiri had dialogued with the farmers who held a Kampuhan– headed by the KASAMA-Bukidnon – last December in front of the Provincial Capitol. The farmers had appealed for the government to study and understand more thoroughly plight so that the process of helping them would be appropriate. DAVCO is now also very persistent in trying to talk to individual members of the BTL. “They are trying to convince the farmers to accept their proposal of leasing the lands. But with their plans, it is not only the BTL farmers who will be affected – the Indigenous Peoples’ communities and other farmers within the CMU lands will also be involved,” said Dolores Gogodan, Chair of the BTL Women's Association. CMU maintains that they do not have plans of leasing the lands to multi-national companies but the DAVCO personnel are freely roaming BTL areas, trying to persuade people. “We are guarding against them. We are guarding against the possibility that these lands, used for the production of food for the Filipino people will be used for commercial crop plantations. We have to gain wisdom from the experiences of the communities whose lands were destroyed by these plantations,” Gogodan further added. The BTL’s farms, despite a peaceful surface, are full of tense undercurrents. The farmers’ rights remain to be threatened. “We have to remain vigilant and steadfast in our aim to defend our rights,” Loable stressed.












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