Ka Orly Marcellana of KASAMA Timog Katagalugan demanded a concrete plan in upholding the rights of the farmers and agricultural workers at the helm of Marcos Jr.’s administration.
The peasant leader asserted that Marcos Jr. should prioritize the implementation of House Bill 1161 or the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB) which would promote excellent condition among agricultural workers and the distribution of land to the tillers.
Meanwhile, along with their reverberating calls came the usual state-enforced attacks as per being linked to the red army.
“Ako ay nire-red-tag dahil isa raw akong kumander ng National Peoples’ Army (NPA) at may patong pa sa ulo,” Ka Orly shared.
[I’m being red-tagged because and alleged to be a commander of the National Peoples’ Army (NPA) with a reward for my head]
Ka Orly added that the attacks are no longer new to him as though his family have been targeted since Arroyo until Duterte administration and now with yet another Marcos Jr. His wife Eden, a former secretary general of Karapatan Southern Tagalog, was among the victims of retired Major Gen. Jovito Palparan Jr. in 2003. And recently last year, on June 25, his daugher Dana was arrested for alleged charges of kidnapping, murder, rebellion and illegal possession of firearms.
According to Ka Orly, Dana is currently detained in Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City.
“Sabi niya [President Marcos Jr.], unity raw, pero paano magkakaroon ng unity kung nagugutom ang magsasaka? Kung pinapalayas sa sariling lupa ang mga magsasaka?” the peasant organizer asked.’
[He [President Marcos Jr.] said unity, but how can there be unity if the farmers are starving? If the farmers are being evicted from their own lands?]
“Kapag naisabatas Ang House Bill 1161 lalago ang agrikultura, dadami ang produkto ng magsasaka, magkakaroon ng lokal na industriyalisasyon at maraming trabaho,” he added.
[Should the House Bill 1161 be enacted, agriculture will grow and farmers’ products will increase. There will be local industrialization and many jobs]
Accordingly, there were expectations laid out by the peasant leader in regards to the yet another Marcos Jr. administration, these are as follows:
- Stop land use conversion
- Raise the wages of farm workers
- Give aid and distribute the land to every farmer
- Stop the killings
- Return the Coco Levy fund of more than 200 billion
- Junk the Rice Liberalization Law
 which would promote excellent condition among agricultural workers and the distribution of land to the tillers, said the peasant leader.){kind=link}