MMDA, cops break farmers’ picket line

Eleven people were hurt as enforcers of the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), supported by Quezon City policemen, broke the picket line of of some 100 militant farmers at the Department of Agrarian Reform building along Elliptical Road yesterday.

At least 100 farmers, belonging to the Pambansang Ugnayan ng mga Nagsasariling Lokal na Oganisasyon sa Kanayunan (UNORKA) and the Alyansa at Inisyatiba ng mga Organisasyong Biktima ng mga Exemption-Exclusion at Kumbersyong Tinira ni Obet (ALIS NA OBET) have been picketing the main gate of the DAR this week as they called for the resignation of DAR Secretary Roberto "Obet" Pagdanganan over what they claimed were cases of illegal land conversions.

According to Amado Padua, one of the picket leaders, they were having breakfast at about 8 a.m. when MMDA sidewalk-clearing personnel arrived and told them to leave the area. At 9:30 a.m., policemen arrived and told them to leave by 10 a.m. as the clearing operations would begin.

Padua said they tried to negotiate with the MMDA enforcers to allow them to keep their picket line. However, the negotiations bogged down and members of the MMDA team arrived at 10 a.m. with a bus and a truck.

Padua said the clearing team began dismantling their tents and started to remove the picket line. He said that as they were trying to negotiate with the clearing team, a melee erupted.

Padua said the MMDA enforcers, who were armed with sticks, attacked them, forcing them to run toward the Philippine Coconut Authority building.

At least 11 of the picketeers were hurt during the clearing operation. Two of those hurt were identified as Catalino Parocha and Felipe Batersal. They were rushed to the East Avenue Medical Center for treatment of head wounds, Padua said.

Two of the picketeers were also arrested by police during the melee, Padua said. Those arrested were identified as Bonifacio Responso and Alejandro Hermosilla.

Superintendent Julius Abanes of CPD-Station 2 in Baler said they merely assisted the MMDA in helping clear the shanties that were put up by the farmers.

He said people were hurt because of the commotion that followed, stressing policemen did not beat up any of the farmers.

Police said farmers attempted to enter the DAR premises. When they were met by riot police, they allegedly threw rocks.

Last Jan. 29, militant farmers stormed the DAR building and blocked the gates. The farmers demanded a review of the illegal land conversion cases while calling for the resignation of Pagdanganan and DAR Undersecretary for Planning, Policy and Legal Affairs Ricardo Arlanza, whom they alleged was given blanket authority by Pagdanganan over the contentious land cases.

The blockade at the gates was temporarily lifted following talks with DAR Undersecretary for Finance, Management and Administration Teddie Rivera.

Rivera told the farmers that Arlanza had resigned and that Pagdanganan had ordered a review of the contentious cases.

Eric Cabanit, UNORKA secretary general, said their protest action aims to pressure the DAR into reversing recent orders that have allegedly favored land owners and real estate developers.