“Magsasaka kami, hindi kami terorista [We are farmers, not terrorists],” Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Chairperson Danilo Ramos stressed on Monday, November 22, in front of the Department of Justice (DOJ) as part of the two-day protest of farmers from Cagayan Valley to demand government action on human rights violations and red-tagging and the abolition of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
More than 20 peasant leaders from the provinces of Isabela, Cagayan, and Quirino headed to Manila and held a two-day lobbying effort from November 22-23 in front of Camp Aguinaldo, Senate and DOJ to cry out their grievances regarding the human rights abuses perpetrated by military forces in their areas.
KMP Chairperson Danilo Ramos called the NTF-ELCAC as nothing but a burden and torture to poor peasants as it wreaks havoc to their way of life through intense militarization.
“Farmers are living in fear. AFP soldiers from the 17th, 95th, 86th, 77th under the 5th Infantry Division have permanently encamped in local villages and made peasant communities their garrisons. This is a clear violation of farmers’ socio-political and civil rights. We call on the CHR and the House of Representatives to act conscientiously on the demands of farmers,” Ramos stated.
Ramos pointed out the rampant extrajudicial killings of farmers and agricultural workers red-tagged as New People’s Army (NPA) members, stressing 26 massacre cases reported under the Duterte administration.
According to KMP-Isabela Chairperson Renato Gameng, the NTF-ELCAC should be defunded given that aside from the suffering of the farmers due to red-tagging, their livelihood has also been affected by the fear that they can be illegally arrested and detained any time.
The activist farmers also denounced the ‘forced surrender’ modus operandi of the NTF-ELCAC.
“Araw-araw kaming pinupuntahan sa bahay ng mga pulis at sundalo. Sinusundan kami kahit sa bukid. Maraming military ang nagpupunta sa baryo namin, pinipilit kaming pumirma at magsurender. Hindi na kami makapagsaka dahil sa sobrang takot. Kung hindi makakapagsaka, magugutom ang pamilya namin,” said Glenda Santos of the ‘Samahan ng Magtatabako sa Sta. Isabel, Ilagan City’ in Isabela province.
[Everyday, police and military come to our homes. They follow us in the farms. A lot of soldiers come to our barrio, forcing us to sign and surrender. We could not plant anymore due to extreme fear. If we cannot plant, our families will go hungry.]
Ramos also added that the P411 million fund from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) last year was still given to NTF-ELCAC and also reckoned the alleged P34 billion budget of the Department of Agriculture (DA) that was identified as part of irregularities.
The Commission on Human Rights (CHR) is expected to hold a discussion with the group as they continue to urge legislators to submit house resolutions to investigate the situation of the farmers in Cagayan Valley.
