13 farmers rushed to hospital

Thirteen of the 22 farmers who have been on hunger strike since last week were rushed to the hospital yesterday, the sixth day of "no food-camp out" in front of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Quezon City.

The farmer-members of Task Force Mapalad who were brought to the East Avenue Medical Center complained of "severe weakness" and other signs of stress.

A day before they began their hunger strike on Wednesday, the farmers shaved their hair to emphasize their protest against the alleged "continued inaction" of the DAR on their demand to be installed in the 144-hectare area of the Hacienda Velez-Malaga in Barangay Robles, La Castellana in Negros Occidental, which was awarded to them under the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). – Katherine Adraneda