THE militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas is preparing a series of actions leading to the 30th anniversary of the Mendiola Massacre of 1987.
“This year’s protest and commemoration of the Mendiola Massacre will happen under extraordinary circumstances—peasant leader Rafael Mariano who led the farmers march to Mendiola in 1987 is now DAR secretary and the land problem is among the major agenda of the peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP),” said KMP chairperson Joseph Canlas.
“There’s still no land and no justice for farmers. No one was arrested, convicted and punished for the massacre at Mendiola that killed 13 farmers namely Danilo Arjona, Leopoldo Alonzo, Adelfa Aribe, Dionisio Bautista, Roberto Caylao, Vicente Campomanes, Ronilo Dumanico, Dante Evangelio, Angelito Gutierrez, Rodrigo Grampan, Bernabe Laquindanum, Sonny Boy Perez, and Roberto Yumul,” said Canlas.
The month-long protests and actions will include the farmers’ assertion for the enactment of a new land reform program that seeks free land distribution to farmers.
The farmers said they will also expose the AFP’s continuing militarization of farmlands and peasant communities that resulted to rights violations and extrajudicial killings. Regional peasants camp-outs and land occupation activities are also under way.