Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid ng Gitnang Luson (AMGL)
  • Home
  • Statements
  • Campaigns
  • Images
  • Resources
  • About
  • Peasant Struggle in Hacienda Luisita

Phrases “land reform,” “Hacienda Luisita,” “farmers,” not mentioned in Aquino’s SONA, “wang-wang” 18 times, group tallied

7/26/2011

0 Comments

 
Picture
Hacienda Luisita farmworkers put markers in front of
RCBCsecurity guards outpost. (Photo by AMGL)
The regional farmers’ group Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (Amgl, Peasant alliance in Central Luzon) tallied significant words from the full-text of president Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino’s state of the nation address (Sona) last July 25 and found out they were never mentioned.  They also noticed that Aquino used the word “wang-wang” 18 times.

“This is the latest insult of Aquino to the Filipino farmers. As if we are not significant, like insects, not worthy to be mentioned on a Sona.  Aquino is fulfilling his role as an anti-peasant president, a landlord icon and defender of the Cojuangco-Aquino interest in Hacienda Luisita,” said Joseph Canlas, Amgl chairperson.

Amgl joined the people’s protest along Commonwealth Avenue in Quezon City, led by Bagong Alyansang Makabayan.  They are also the group who constantly support the Hacienda Luisita farmworkers under Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala).  Ambala is a member-organization of Amgl.

“When we are listening to Aquino’s speech at the protest, we simply thought that it was not ‘edible,’ he is talking Gloria-like about facts and figures that poor Filipinos have no use of.  His manner of speech is un-president, he is either talking about macro-economics or about small things like ‘wang-wang,’” Canlas said.

Amgl counted that Aquino used the word “wang-wang” 18 times, while none about pertinent agenda on the farmers.  The tally was as the following: “lupa” 2; “reporma sa lupa” (land reform) 0; “magsasaka”, “magbubukid” (farmers) 0; Hacienda Luisita 0; “kahirapan” (poverty) 1; “agrikultura” (agriculture) 2; “karapatan pantao” (human rights) 1; “kapayapaan” (peace) 0; “demokrasya” (democracy) 0 and “kalayaan” (freedom) 1.

“Aquino talked about land but he was not referring to land reform, poverty but on the conditional cash transfer (CCT), agriculture related to his development program copied from former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, human rights referring to Bishop Palma of the CBCP, freedom about local government units (LGU),” Canlas said.

“He never mentioned us farmers, the majority among us Filipinos, especially Hacienda Luisita farmworkers, he has accepted that he is indeed an enemy of the Filipino farmers.  House helpers are luckier than us as he promised them just wages and benefits,”  he added.

The group added that Aquino has not committed to prosecute former president Arroyo especially about the P728-million fertilizer scam and other corruption cases involving the agriculture department.  Aquino not at all brought up the human rights abuses resulted by Arroyo’s counter-insurgency program Oplan Bantay Laya.

“Central Luzon farmers have nothing to expect from Aquino, but devastating programs such as his Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program, his promotion of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with ‘Reforms’ (Carper), globalist policies such as privatization and liberalization of the energy sectors involving hydro-electric dams that cause displacement to indigenous peoples and destruction to crops.  The planned construction of superhighways are threatening to displace many farmers from their land, including the Hacienda Luisita farmworkers,” Canlas said.


Hacienda Luisita “bungkalan” (cultivation)

“As we are totally disregarded by the Aquino government, we would take the lead to uphold our rights to land and we are doing this now in Hacienda Luisita,” Canlas said.

Amgl said that farmworkers under Ambala have occupied the 500-hectares claimed by Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC) at Brgy. Balete and Texas since July 15.  The farmworkers said that RCBC’s claim was a result of the Cojuangco-Aquino’s deception of farmworker-beneficiaries selling lands that they legitimately own.

“We are now at the process of parcelling the lands to be awarded to deserving beneficiaries.  We are prioritizing the families of the victims of rights abuses, those who persistently struggled for their land rights and the most impoverished.  This is far more superior than Aquino’s CCT program,” Canlas said.

Amgl affirmed that the bungkalan is the concretization of justice being serve to the Hacienda Luisita farmworkers.  They added that it encoins the true meaning of social justice, opposite to the July 5 referendum-decision of the Supreme Court.

“The high court have decided in favor of the Cojuangco-Aquinos, thus, we are affirming the demand of the Hacienda Luisita farmworkers that is land.  We are strongly united for this bungkalan, thus, any attack of the Cojuangco-Aquinos would be faced by broad protest and condemnation.  We also advice the RCBC management to demand the Cojuangco-Aquinos of any losses they have incurred as they are the ones who ripped them off,” Canlas said.

The group said that RCBC should hold the Cojuangco-Aquinos for consciously selling lands that are historically under dispute.  The latter has the clear intent of defrauding RCBC by assuring them that they would not be affected by the agrarian dispute.

“We are constantly monitoring the movement of the RCBC security guards at Brgy. Balete, but we are not considering them as our main adversary as they have no record of abuses against the residents.  But we are cautioning them against colluding with the military based at the barangay hall, and also with the corrupt barangay official who is a lackey of the Cojuangco-Aquinos,” Canlas said.

Amgl said that Ambala is planning the sustained campaign of bungkalan, particularly on other barangays as local farmworkers have also demanded to cultivate the land.

“This bungkalan is the exact opposite of Aquino’s state of the nation address as farmers could concretely benefit from the fruits of the land, the harvested rice coming from these lands are going to feed the hungry Hacienda Luisita farmworkers.  On the contrary, Aquino and his corrupt syndicate should eat the paper his sona was printed on,” Canlas said. #
  

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    AMGL

    To struggle for Genuine Land Reform in Central Luzon and other regions of the country.

    Archives

    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    July 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    April 2013
    March 2013
    February 2013
    January 2013
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    June 2012
    May 2012
    April 2012
    March 2012
    February 2012
    January 2012
    November 2011
    October 2011
    August 2011
    July 2011
    June 2011
    May 2011
    April 2011
    March 2011
    February 2011

    Categories

    All
    Agap Zambales
    Agap-zambales
    Agrarian Reform
    Agriculture
    Alabamas
    Alabamas Dam
    Almana 3100
    Amado Espino
    Ambala
    Amgl
    Amgl Ne
    Amgl-ne
    Amt
    Anakpawis
    Angara
    Angat Dam
    Aniban
    Apeco
    Aseza
    Aurora
    Ayala
    Ayta
    Balikatan
    Balingcanaway
    Balog Balog Dam
    Balog-balog Dam
    Bayambang
    Benguetcorp
    Bot
    Bungkalan
    Calen
    California Energy
    Caltex
    Camp Gregg
    Cancellation Of Cloa
    Carp
    Carper
    Casiguran
    Cat
    Central Azucarera De Tarlac
    Central Luzon
    Chief Justice
    Claa
    Clark International Airport Corp.
    Clex
    Cloa
    Clrdp
    Clt
    Coco Levy
    Cojuangco Aquino
    Cojuangco-Aquino
    Cojuangco-aquino
    Cojuangco Aquinos
    Cojuangcoaquinos6288a28430
    Cojuangcos
    Corruption
    Danding Cojuangco
    Dar
    Dionisio Manuel
    Dislocation
    Displacement
    Displacements
    Dmci
    Dswd
    Ecozones
    Edc
    Energy Development Corporation
    Environment
    Ep
    Extra Judicial Killings
    Extrajudicial Killings0e27260734
    Farmers
    Farmworkers
    Fertilizer Scam
    Feudalism
    Fisherfolk
    Fmmr
    Food Security
    Foreclosure
    Fort Magsaysay Military Reservation
    Gabriel Singson Jr9507b1ead5
    Garb
    Genuine Land Reform
    Gloria Macapagal Arroyo
    Gloria Macapagal-arroyo
    Gma
    Gmo
    Golden Rice
    Guimba
    Hacienda Dolores
    Hacienda Luisita
    Hacienda Luisita Massacre
    Harassment
    Human Rights
    Human Rights Violation
    Human Rights Violations
    Imperialism
    Indigenous People
    Irri
    Ism 2013
    Jica
    Joc Joc Bolante
    Joc-joc Bolante
    Kmp
    Landgrabbing
    Land Reform
    Land Use Conversion
    La Paz
    Liberalization Of Agriculture
    Luc
    Mambayu
    Manuel Lorenzo
    Marilou Abrilles
    Maro
    Martin Lorenzo
    Medium Term Development Plan
    Medium-term Development Plan
    Merceditas Gutierrez
    Militarization
    Mining
    Mining Act
    Mining. Mining Act 0f 1995
    Mlub
    Move Now!
    Mt.abo
    Nia
    Nlex
    Nlex East
    Nolcom
    Noynoy Aquino
    Nueva Ecija
    Oil
    Oil Deregulation
    Oil Deregulation Law
    Oil Price Hike
    Ombudsman
    Oph
    Oplan Bantay Laya
    Oplan Bayanihan
    Palay
    Palparan
    Pamana
    Pampanga
    Pangasinan
    Pantabangan
    Pantabangan Dam
    Paro
    Pep
    Peping Cojuangco
    Petron
    Philrice
    Porac
    Ppp
    Press Freedom
    Privatization
    Public Private Partnership
    Public-private Partnership
    Rcbc
    Referendum
    Relief
    Renato Corona
    Republic Act 10083
    Republic Act 6657
    Republic Act 9490
    Republic Act 9700
    Rice
    Rice Farmers
    Rice Industry
    Sctex
    Sdo
    Sdp
    Shell
    Sona
    Sona 2011
    St. Tropez
    Supreme Court
    Syngenta
    Tarlac
    Teddy Casino
    Tplex
    Typhoon Pedring
    Ulwu
    Us Imperialism
    Vfa
    Visiting Forces Agreement
    W Corridor
    W-corridor
    Willem Geertman
    Wto
    Zambales

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.