Letter To The Editor - When did asserting right  to land become terrorism?

The AFP officials accused the 10 members of a militant farmer’s organization who were arrested of being NPA supporters.  This organization was noted for its anti-feudal orientation and support of the national campaigns under Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas. Now, as Arroyo and her minions in the military keep parroting, KMP is a terrorist front.

In this decades-long existence, KMP has never wavered in its advocacy to fight for the rights of the peasant sector. Along with the thousands of its national membership, it has always sought to expose the continued exploitation of the farmers in the countryside. It has successfully campaigned for genuine agrarian reform and alleviation of the peasants’ poor living conditions.

 NAMAMA (Nagkahiusang Mag-uuma sa Marmol) launched such a campaign to lower their land rent in 2003. They successfully negotiated to turn over ¼ (and not 2/3) of the harvest from 9 hectares of state-owned timberland claimed by a certain Virgilla Balbuena.

After the subsequent harvest, Balbuena did not accept her share and so the farmers were forced to store this in a makeshift hut. Using this as a basis, the latter filed qualified theft against the farmers, resulting in the arrest last week.

 When the military intensified operations in Tuburan, they started harassing the farmers and calling them communist sympathizers. They point out to the militancy of the farmers’ group and their agrarian reform campaign as evidence of involvement in the communist insurgency. They follow the logic of their masters Gwen and Gloria who declared total war against the progressive sector and justify it under their anti-terrorism policy. Now when did asserting rights to till land become criminal, or worse, terrorism?

 Perhaps Gloria, Gwen, and the officials of the AFP and PNP should be slapped with the truth that they are twisting the facts. First of all, let us remind them that it is our democratic right to form an organization and to fight for the rights of our sector. This is precisely the reason why NAMAMA was successful in lowering their rent: it was legally recognized under the law. Second, they accuse us of being terrorists when it is they who are brandishing their M-16s in our faces and threatening physical harm if we don’t do their bidding.

 Anybody all over the world who has a scrap of knowledge about human rights will affirm that assertion of basic human and democratic rights is NOT terrorism. However, using state power to threaten the poor peasants certainly is terrorism.

 Release the 10 NAMAMA members now!

78th IB out of Tuburan!

KMP-Cebu