Farmers troop to Manila to protest killings, landlessness

MANILA, Philippines —Thousands of farmers and rural folk from across the country have gathered in Metro Manila for protests against the killings of farmers and activists and to urge the government to distribute land under the government agrarian reform program.

The protesters staged demonstrations outside the Department of Agrarian Reform office and in front of the military headquarters in Camp Aguinaldo — both in Quezon City — as part of the Pambansang Lakbayan ng mga Magsasaka 2017.

Protests were also held in Southern Luzon, Central Luzon, Cagayan and the Ilocos region. 

Farmers from the Bicol provinces also trooped to the Philippine Coconut Authority, also in Quezon City, on Tuesday to denounce the non-return and non-distribution of the P85-billion coco levy fund.

“The Duterte government has failed millions of coconut farmers. He reneged on his promise to return the coco levy fund,” Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Secretary General Antonio Flores said.

Flores urged the public to support the farmers who traveled from their communities in the provinces to Manila.

“We are inviting broad sectors and personalities who joined the September 21 rallies to unite with farmers, agricultural workers, fisherfolk and rural poor. Farmers and peasants across the country are among the main casualties of Duterte’s martial law, militarization and creeping iron-hand rule,” Flores said.  

Flores, in a text message to Philstar.com said there were police personnel inside the DAR compound who allegedly want the protesters to vacate the premises.

“We will not leave our camp in front of DAR. We are calling for genuine agrarian reform," Flores said. 

In a text message to Philstar.com, Police Chief Supt. Guillermo Lorenzo of Quezon City Police District confirmed there were around 70 policemen in DAR compound.

The farmers and activist leaders will march to Mendiola, historically a site of protests because of its proximity to the presidential palace, on Wednesday.

The rallies are the culmination of nationally-coordinated actions and month-long caravan and protests led by farmers.

Deaths of farmers

Flores said the main objective of the protests is to hold President Rodrigo Duterte accountable for the deaths of farmers and continuing landlessness.

“To date, 91 peasants were killed under his administration. Not a single case was investigated nor solved. We demand justice for the victims of peasant political killings and extrajudicial killings,” Flores said.

Rights group Karapatan has documented 98 victims of political killings as of September 30. Of those cases, 91 were farmers or farmer activists.

In contrast, 603 farmers were killed during the term of President Gloria-Macapagal Arroyo, while 270 were killed under Benigno Aquino III's administration, Karapatan said. 

The farmers also called for the resignation of Defense Chief Delfin Lorenzana and Gen. Eduardo Año, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief of staff, for alleged human rights abuses and militarization in rural communities. 

KMP chairperson Danilo Ramos said Duterte as AFP’s commander-in-chief is “highly accountable” for the brazen human rights abuses committed by state forces against civilians in farmer communities.

“State-sponsored fascism is used to perpetuate the situation of landlessness. Terror reigns across the country and we blame the DND, AFP and Duterte for this situation,” Ramos said.

READ: Appointments body rejects Mariano as DAR chief

Agrarian reform in 2016

The DAR used to be headed by Rafael Mariano, a former KMP leader and a nominee of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines. A congressional body rejected Mariano's appointment in September. Among the issues raised against him, which he denied, were alleged involvement in clashes between farmers and landowners, and in New People's Army attacks on a food company in Davao in April. 

The Commission on Appointments rejected his appointment anyway.