by Pamela Cabrera
MENDIOLA, MANILA – Despite the vows by President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to farmers, a revolutionary group of farmers rallied outside the Mendiola Peace Arch last October 6 in celebration with President Aquino’s 100th day on service.
On their 98th day of insurgency, Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (KASAMA-TK/KMP) together with the Anak-Pawis Partylist voiced their sentiments that in the span of 100 days in the Presidential seat, President Aquino haven’t done any significant changes in accordance to his promises from election to inauguration. As well as the approval of the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill for the benefit of every farmer in the Philippines.
However in almost 100 days of assembly for their pleas to the government, no response came from President Aquino and his officials. The only answer they’ve got in the government was demolition, dispersals and harassments especially from the police force.
“We will not stop, until we are heard,” one of the members from the KASAMA-TK said in Tagalog regarding the further actions their group will do to for the government to give attention to their sentiments as farmers. Where in fact President Aquino pointed out his intentions in his speeches that he will be giving more importance to the people especially to the farmers.”This is just a start,” he added.
Furthermore, KASAMA-TK also seeks justice to the killings of their co-farmers in Hacienda Luisita and the harassment by government officials and law enforcer.
"Kano ang boss ko, hindi ‘kayo’ ang boss ko,” KASAMA-TK declared about the actions President Aquino did for 100 days, wherein he strengthened the foreign relations of the Philippines with the United State in which last September 24 he went to U.S. to meet with President Barack Obama for the Second US-ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nation) Leaders Meeting in New York instead of giving immediate response to the sentiments of the farmers.
Commotion with the force
Later in the afternoon, Manila Police district asked the activists to pack up their things and just come back tomorrow if they wish to continue with their protest. However the negotiation went quite a long time until the police were forced to drag them away in the evening.
The police advised the protesters to go to a nearby place like the Bustillos church in which they usually do every rally. But the activists refrained from going somewhere and asked the police force if they could stay outside the arch until the next wherein it’s their last day of remonstration.
“Yes, it is their freedom of speech, but they are given enough time,” Cor. P/Supt. Felipe Cazon of the Manila Police District in Mendiola said. They have been negotiating to the protesters to leave and just come back if they wish; “they are causing too much traffic and danger to the students inside the consortium,” he added.
To the maximum time of 7 in the evening given by the Manila law enforcement the protesters still refused to leave the place that resulted to commotion with both parties and led to force dispersion of the picketers.
“We are forced to use the police force, but we didn’t hurt the protesters,” Cor. P/Supt. Cazon said regarding the allegations of the protesters that they used their force over them. “It was in fact them who threw bottles containing their “urine wastes” on us… We are on the offense always, and we dispersed them synchronized,” he added.
The police force hasn’t got any word from the Malacaňan Palace regarding their actions that they will be giving to the protesters after the incident. However it is beyond their jurisdiction to give accounts to the demonstrators about the response of the higher office. “We are only called to protect the pedestrians and students,” he said.
However in almost 100 days of assembly for their pleas to the government, no response came from President Aquino and his officials. The only answer they’ve got in the government was demolition, dispersals and harassments especially from the police force.
“We will not stop, until we are heard,” one of the members from the KASAMA-TK said in Tagalog regarding the further actions their group will do to for the government to give attention to their sentiments as farmers. Where in fact President Aquino pointed out his intentions in his speeches that he will be giving more importance to the people especially to the farmers.”This is just a start,” he added.
Furthermore, KASAMA-TK also seeks justice to the killings of their co-farmers in Hacienda Luisita and the harassment by government officials and law enforcer.
"Kano ang boss ko, hindi ‘kayo’ ang boss ko,” KASAMA-TK declared about the actions President Aquino did for 100 days, wherein he strengthened the foreign relations of the Philippines with the United State in which last September 24 he went to U.S. to meet with President Barack Obama for the Second US-ASEAN (Association of South-East Asian Nation) Leaders Meeting in New York instead of giving immediate response to the sentiments of the farmers.
Commotion with the force
Later in the afternoon, Manila Police district asked the activists to pack up their things and just come back tomorrow if they wish to continue with their protest. However the negotiation went quite a long time until the police were forced to drag them away in the evening.
The police advised the protesters to go to a nearby place like the Bustillos church in which they usually do every rally. But the activists refrained from going somewhere and asked the police force if they could stay outside the arch until the next wherein it’s their last day of remonstration.
“Yes, it is their freedom of speech, but they are given enough time,” Cor. P/Supt. Felipe Cazon of the Manila Police District in Mendiola said. They have been negotiating to the protesters to leave and just come back if they wish; “they are causing too much traffic and danger to the students inside the consortium,” he added.
To the maximum time of 7 in the evening given by the Manila law enforcement the protesters still refused to leave the place that resulted to commotion with both parties and led to force dispersion of the picketers.
“We are forced to use the police force, but we didn’t hurt the protesters,” Cor. P/Supt. Cazon said regarding the allegations of the protesters that they used their force over them. “It was in fact them who threw bottles containing their “urine wastes” on us… We are on the offense always, and we dispersed them synchronized,” he added.
The police force hasn’t got any word from the Malacaňan Palace regarding their actions that they will be giving to the protesters after the incident. However it is beyond their jurisdiction to give accounts to the demonstrators about the response of the higher office. “We are only called to protect the pedestrians and students,” he said.
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