The rallyists, members of the Ugnayan ng mga Lokal at Nagsasariling Organisasyon sa Kanayunan (UNORKA), assembled at the foot of the historic Don Chino Roces Bridge (formerly Mendiola Bridge) where they held a program at about 10 a.m. While at the bridge, the rallyists also burned an effigy of the President.
In a statement, the rallyists criticized the Arroyo administration’s apparent failure to implement the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) which was passed during the term of former President Corazon Aquino.
"After 15 years, the law was not effectively implemented. The present government has failed to resolve the identified problematic areas in the land reform program based on the CARP law and on the needs of farmers," said UNORKA in a statement.
The militant farmers group also lashed at the Department of Agrarian Reform for slashing P1.2 billion from its budget which was supposed to be earmarked for land acquisition.
Fifteen years ago yesterday, 13 members of a militant farmers group who was staging a protest at the foot of the Mendiola Bridge were killed after they were shot by policemen. Also wounded in the incident that has since been known as the "Mendiola Massacre," were some 100 farmers. – Mike Frialde