Farmers to Duterte: Commit to promise of land reform, end farmer killings
Thousands of farmers from different regions gathered on Oct. 25 to demand President Duterte’s commitment to his promises on land reform, free irrigation system, and an end to farmer killings.
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) Secretary-General Antonio Flores said they only want Duterte to hear their concerns during the #LakbayMagsasaka, a movement calling for the end of land-grabbing and farmer killings.
“'Yung mga pangako ni Duterte ang aming sisingilin,” Flores said.
“Una, yung usapin sa lupa. Pangalawa, yung libreng irigasyon, Coco Levy at, ‘yung pamamaslang [sa] mga magsasaka na umabot na sa 91 ang pinatay noong umupo siya,” he added.
Manuel Evangelista of San Jose, Del Monte, Bulacan said they only want the government to face them and hear their demands as farmers and humans.
“Para wala siyang marinig na reklamo, ibigay nila ang kahilingan namin...[T]ao rin naman kami, na mga maralitang magsasaka. So, dapat, kami man harapin nila, dahil kami [ay] tao rin” Evangelista said.
Evangelista said Duterte should consider problems faced by farmers and not only the drug war.
“Huwag puro droga na lang ang pinagtututukan niya ng pansin, kasi ang land grabbing [ay] korupsiyon. [T]utulan niya yon, suportahan niya [ang mga] magsasaka,” he said.
Flores said their contingents from Mindanao will continue to camp at the Department of Agrarian Reform area in Quezon City, and said they are preparing a movement for the upcoming ASEAN Summit in Pampanga on November.
Various groups of farmers and families from Bulacan, Northern Luzon, Bicol, and Mindanao also joined the movement, where they marched from Welcome Rotonda in Quezon City to Mendiola, holding banners that showed their plea to President Duterte.