Farmers take to the streets, bash PNoy

By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent

SOME one thousand activists and farmers from all over northern Mindanao yesterday staged a rally here in time for Farmers’ Day, and to express their grivances against the Aquino administration.

The group marched from Gaston Park towards Cogon area, and then the capitol grounds where they lambasted President Aquino.

Michael Pineda, a council member of the Kilusang Mambubukid ng Pilipinas in northern Mindanao, said the group was dismayed with the Aquino administration over its failure to implement a genuine comprehensive agrarian reform.

“Wala gihapoy kaugalingong yuta ang kabus nga mga mag-uuma hangtud karon, kay ang mga kayota-an sa kabukiran,  gipanag-iya man  lamang  sa dagkong kapitalista,” Pineda said.

He said he and the group had no other recourse but call for the ouster of President Aquino.

The group also demanded a halt to the pineapple plantation expansion of the Davao Ventures  Corp. in Quezon, Bukidnon that involves 300 hectares.

Pineda said Dole Philippines and Del Monte Philippines are also expanding their pineapple plantations in the same province while Philip Morris and A Brown Corp. are expanding their tobacco and  palm oil plantations, respectively, in Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental. He said this should not be allowed.

Pineda said this has been aggravated by the “militarization” of areas to suppress if not, silence lumad farmers.

He said at least 50 farmers in northern Mindanao alone have been skapped with trumped up charges because of their advocacies.