Slain farmer-leader's last speech recorded by GMANews.TV

Ka Rene's long walk to justice ended violently Friday night.

One of the land reform movement's most charismatic leaders, Rene Peñas, 51, was assassinated in Sumilao, Bukidnon as he was returning home from yet another farmers' meeting about land. A resident of the same town has been arrested in connection with the crime. Peñas first gained national exposure in 1997 as one of the month-long hunger strikers in front of the Department of Agrarian Reform in Quezon City, a protest action that mobilized enormous public sympathy. In 2007 he led a 1,770-kilometer protest march from Bukidnon to Manila. Peñas and his fellow Sumilao farmers finally obtained a 50-hectare land concession from San Miguel Corporation in May 2008, with a tearful Peñas triumphantly cutting the wire fence around the property as it was turned over. Peñas' non-violent tactics to pressure government and squeeze concessions from landowners have been emulated by other farmers' groups and championed by farmer advocates, including legislators who have been pushing for an extension of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (or CARPer) in Congress. Ka Rene's last public appearance was last May 28 at the Ateneo de Manila University screening of Lupang Hinarang, a new documentary by Ditsi Carolino about recent struggles of farmers for land reform. GMANews.TV web producer Candice Montenegro recorded his brief speech, in which Peñas spoke about the irony of farmers having to remind lawmakers what the law is all about. I was also there to witness his last public appearance, the vigor and confidence with which he faced a well-to-do crowd belying the long, mostly frustrating years of struggle. He looked like he was ready for another long march. Excerpts from Ka Rene Peñas' last speech: Napakahaba po ng struggle ng magsasaka, ngunit walang imposible kung manindigan lamang at magkaisa. Pero napakasakit isipin lamang na kung noon ay galing sa Maynila ang batas, dalhin mo sa baba, at ipaalam sa magsasaka na ito ang batas ng ating gobyerno, ngayon baliktad po. Mas may alam ang magsasaka sa batas, dinala niya papunta sa Maynila upang ipaalam sa ating gobyerno - "Ito po ang batas niyo." Napakasakit isipin na ganoon... Tuloy po ang laban namin, salamat sa lahat ng suporta niyo. Nanalo po kami sa Sumilao, ngunit pangako po namin, hindi lang po para sa amin ang aming pakikibaka kung hindi para sa lahat ng landless na Pilipino sa buong bansa. - Howie Severino, GMANews.TV