Bulatlat.com September 8, 2008 – 1:27p.m. The peasant group that exposed the P728-million fertilizer scam slammed Justice Secretary Raul Gonzalez for ‘protecting former Agriculture Undersecretary Jocelyn ‘Jocjoc’ Bolante.’ Danilo Ramos, secretary general of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP-Philippine Peasant Movement) said, “Gonzalez really knows who to coddle, those who are indebted to the people…
Tags: Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
Farmers Camp Out at DAR to Protest Land Grabbing in S. Tagalog
BY NOEL SALES BARCELONA Contributed to Bulatlat.com August 11, 2008 – 12:59 p.m. More than a thousand members of peasant groups and supporters have started camping out at the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Aug. 11, to protest the cases of land grabbing in the provinces of the Southern Tagalog region. The Katipunan ng mga…
Relatives, Supporters of Detained Peasant Leader Slam ‘Mafia-Style’ Transfer to Manila City Jail
Relatives and supporters of detained Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP or Peasant Movement of the Philippines) deputy secretary-general for external affairs Randall Echanis Aug. 2 denounced the “Mafia-style and highly irregular transfer” of the peasant leader to the Manila City Jail. BY GERRY ALBERT CORPUZ HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH Contributed to Bulatlat Vol. VIII, No. 26,…
Behind Bars: The Travails of a Political Prisoner
Randall Echanis, of the militant peasant organization the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, is not the only political prisoner of the Arroyo regime. There are currently 240 prisoners in detention by the count of Samahan ng mga Ex-Detainee Laban sa Detensyon at para sa Amnestiya (SELDA), an organization dedicated to helping political prisoners. BY LARISSA MAE…
Son of Arrested KMP Leader Seeks Villar, JDV Help to Free Father
The son of Randall Echanis, deputy secretary general of the militant peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP orPeasant Movement of the Philippines), has sought the help of Senate President Manuel Villar and House Speaker Jose de Venecia to facilitate the immediate and unconditional release of his father. BY GERRY ALBERT CORPUZ Contributed to Bulatlat…
Para la Patria
The lot of the peasantry should be the prime measure of the health of the economy. BY CAROL PAGADUAN-ARAULLO Streetwise/Business World Posted by Bulatlat Vol. VII, No. 36, October 14-20, 2007 The Arroyo regime has less than three years to go before its term ends in 2010. Malacanang’s strategy for surviving till then (which is…
Peasant Group Asks for Moratorium in Land Rent, Other Relief
The militant peasant group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP or Peasant Movement of the Philippines) called on local government units and landlords to help the farmers most affected by the dry spells that hit the country, either in the form of assistance or a moratorium in land rent. BY AUBREY MAKILAN Bulatlat Vol. VII, No.…
Ka Paeng: Representing and Living the Life of the Marginalized
Washing and ironing his clothes, cleaning the house, washing the dishes, and weeding the farm. Other politicians would hire maids to do these things for them. But Anakpawis (Toiling Masses) Rep. Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano, the poorest congressman in the country, lives up to his sector’s way of life. BY AUBREY SC MAKILAN Bulatlat Vol.…
International Groups Denounce Deportation of Bangladeshi Peasant Leader
By Gerry Albert Corpuz Bulatlat.com Can a foreigner be barred for entering the Philippines because of his or her previous participation in a protest action here? The answer is yes, going by the experience of a Bangladeshi peasant leader who was deported last March 30 even if his travel papers were in order. Three international…
Peasants Suffer in 2005, Brace for Worst in 2006
Various controversies plagued the agricultural sector in 2005 and peasants do not see an end in the immediate future. In fact, they are bracing for the worst in 2006. BY AUBREY SC MAKILAN Bulatlat.com Past surveys showed hardship among the poor in 2004 and signs of desperation in 2005. No less than President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,…
Negros Labor Organizer Missing, Military Blamed
A sad Christmas awaits a family of a Negros-based labor organizer who has been missing since Dec. 5. Negros cause-oriented groups say it is the handiwork of the military which the latter strongly denies. A military officer, however, is quick to accuse the missing labor organizer of being a member of the New People’s Army.…