Farmers burn PNoy pictures to protest ‘disregard’ of land reform

Militant farmer groups on Wednesday burned images of President Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino III to protest the government’s alleged "disregard of land reform and the interest of Filipino peasants." Peasant groups Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid ng Timog Katagalugan (KASAMA-TK) burned 100 pictures of Aquino in front of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) building in Quezon City to signify his supposed "inaction" on agrarian reform issues during his first 100 days in office. "Our bases are clear. Aquino has no plans of effecting change or serving the interest of the Filipino peasants. Poor Filipinos are not his bosses, but the rich and powerful landlords," KMP spokesperson Antonio Flores said in a statement on Wednesday. The groups have been camping out around Metro Manila since Aquino’s inaugural on June 30 to call for the distribution of hacienda lands all over the country. KASAMA-TK Secretary-General Axel Pinpin said his group even wrote a letter to Aquino during the President’s first week in office to plead for land reform, but the letter was just "ignored" and forwarded to the DAR and the Department of Agriculture. "We tried to reach him, send him our demands, plead for fundamental reforms, but he mentioned nothing about land reform in his speeches," he said. He added that instead of heeding their grievances, the government even treated them "violently," especially during a dispersal at the Chino Roces Bridge (Mendiola bridge) near Malacañang Palace, where their groups initially camped out. (See: Luisita workers, other rallyists arrested in Mendiola for ‘obstruction’) Dispersal The dispersal, where 42 farmer-protesters were arrested but were later released, forced them to transfer in front of the DAR office in Quezon City, according to Pinpin. The peasant group leader likewise said his fellow farmers were already "losing hope" on the Aquino administration, since they have been "totally ignored" during the President’s first three months in office. "We are very disappointed of Aquino’s attitude towards farmers… It is already on its 91st day in office but we have received no positive response on our demands," he said. Meanwhile, Flores said the two farmer groups will stage more protests in the coming days as a "countdown" to the President’s first 100 days in office. A vigil will be staged at the Chino Roces Bridge during Aquino’s 100th day in office on October 8, he said. Protest actions will also be held in front of the President’s residence on Times Street and in front of government offices involved in peasant issues, he added. "There is no doubt that Aquino is a true-blue haciendero, in power only to preserve the feudal control of his class," Flores said. Hacienda Luisita President Aquino has shares in Hacienda Luisita, Inc., the corporation which owns the controversial 6,453-hectare sugar plantation in Tarlac. (See: Holding on: A Hacienda Luisita timeline from the Spanish to the Noynoy eras) The case of the Cojuangco-owned sugar plantation has been pending before the Supreme Court since 2006. The high court formed last month a mediation panel to try to settle the land dispute, but a faction of the farmers from the hacienda has recenty refused to participate in the proceedings. (See: Luisita farmers walk out of SC mediation proceedings) When he was campaigning for president, Aquino vowed to redistribute the Hacienda Luisita lands his family owns to farmer-beneficiaries by June 2014. (See: Noynoy: Hacienda Luisita distributed to farmers by 2014) — RSJ, GMANews.TV