Farmers belie Noy claim, warn to file charges after his term

From the Daily Tribune (Jul 24): Farmers belie Noy claim, warn to file charges after his term

Launching their nationwide protest dubbed “Kadenang Magsasaka” highlighted by protest actions, noise barrage, human chain and other activities across the country, the militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) yesterday belied claims of President Aquino that his administration failed to achieve rice self-sufficiency because of the natural calamities which plagued the country, as they bared the real state of farmers and the Filipino people ahead of the President’s last State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday.

“Massive landlessness continues to plague the farmers. From seven out of 10 farmers landless in the previous regimes, figures show that under Aquino nine out of 10 are landless,” said KMP secretary general Antonio Flores, citing figures Land Bank of the Philippines showing that only 9.7 percent of the sham Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) beneficiaries have fully paid amortizations.”

The peasant group also belied government’s claims blaming its failure to achieve rice self-sufficiency to natural calamities, saying “Aquino’s continuing policy of rice importation and abandonment of agricultural support to farmers and corruption of agricultural funds remain as the main culprit in the dwindling production.”

“Aquino is the biggest political catastrophe to farmers and agriculture. He used and abused taxpayers’ money in overpriced rice importation instead of using public funds to support local palay procurement,” Flores said.

“The rice importation policy is killing the local rice industry,” he added, citing the 1.3 million metric tons of rice that entered the country in 2014.

Flores said after five years under Aquino, millions of farmers remain the poorest of the poor, hungry and neglected by the government. “Aquino is the single biggest enemy of the peasant masses. His only legacy that we know of is oppression and exploitation,” he said.

“We declare Aquino guilty and punishable for heinous crimes against the peasantry. His Sona on Monday is his last ditch effort to conceal the atrocities committed by his pro-landlord administration in the past five years,” Flores added.

“We have all reasons to protest on Aquino’s Sona on Monday. Farmers will join the nationally-coordinated peoples protest on Sona as calls for Aquino’s ouster will reverberate throughout the country,” said Flores, adding that after 2016, KMP will initiate actions to prosecute and file charges against Aquino.

http://www.tribune.net.ph/nation/farmers-belie-noy-claim-warn-to-file-charges-after-his-term