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Mariano accuses Lapanday of mocking Duterte

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Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) secretary Rafael Mariano denied he committed graft and corruption when he personally led the installation of 159 agrarian reform beneficiaries last May 18 in Tagum City.

In a press conference, Mariano said all agrarian reform disputes are within the exclusive jurisdiction of the DAR and only the Supreme Court may restrain the agency from implementing its decisions.

Instead, Mariano said Lapanday Foods Corporation (LFC) mocks the Duterte government’s call for change by using the courts to thwart the implementation of genuine agrarian reform.

“President Duterte has time and time again warned against the ‘use of courts’ to block the mandate of land reform, which is to distribute land to agrarian reform beneficiaries,” Mariano said.

“We are just following the president’s directives,” he added.

Harassment

Mariano said the criminal and administrative complaint filed by LFC counsel Noel Oliver Punzalan “is a move by the LFC to harass officials of the DAR.”

Punzalan filed the graft and corruption charge against Mariano and DAR undersecretary for legal affairs Luis Meinrado Pangulayan before the Office of the Ombudsman for “unwarranted benefit, advantage or preference” to Madaum Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries, Inc. (MARBAI) on the day the farmers were formally installed in the property last May 18.

Punzalan sought a preventive suspension against Mariano and Pangulayan “due to the seriousness and depravity of the acts they committed.”

Punzalan also alleged that Mariano’s successive Cease and Desist Order (CDO), Writ of Installation and Break Open Order from December last year to this month violated a Writ of Execution by the Regional Trial Court of Davao City.

“Mariano’s CDO disregarded the fact that LFC’s possesion and management of the area is by virtue of a prior and final and executory order issued by the RTC of Davao City,” Punzalan said.

The embattled secretary however countered, saying “Lapanday’s contract is not binding to MARBAI as it was executed with the Hijo Employees Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries Cooperative 1 which already ceded the disputed portion of the banana plantation to MARBAI farmers.

He said he also served the writ of installation after President Rodrigo Duterte ordered him to proceed with the installation during his visit at the MARBAI farmers’ protest camp in Mendiola.

Pangulayan for his part said the DAR just executed its quasi-judicial powers and gave no undue benefit to MARBAI farmers.

DAR said Republic Act 6657 (the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law) gives DAR the sole authority to determine if a case in Court is an agrarian in nature.

“This is the reason why all Courts are required by Section 50-A of RA 6657, as amended, to automatically refer all such cases to DAR,” it said.

He also denied that the agency committed gross negligence and bad faith in installing the farmers.

“The charges are just selfish corporate interest manifesting itself,” Pangulayan said.

“We will reply to the charges when required by the Office of the Ombudsman,” he added.

Lapanday is liable

Anakpawis representative Ariel Casilao for his part said LFC should in fact be grateful to Mariano who gave the agri-business corporation more leeway than it deserved, more so in light of its continuing violence against the farmers.

“DAR could have filed contempt charges against the company for refusing to comply with the agency’s lawful orders,” Casilao said.

The charges against Secretary Mariano and Undersecretary Pangulayan are “weak, baseless and should pave the wave for disbarment complaints against Punzalan for ignorance of the law,” he said.

“We call on Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales to be impartial, as (another Lapanday counsel) Mans Carpio is her nephew as we also condemn LFC’s continuing harassment of the farmers,” Casilao said.

Casilao said Philippine National Police personnel in Tagum City have noticed 100 LFC guards near the MARBAI property a day after Mariano installed the farmers.

DAR also said that armed LFC security guards have positioned themselves near the MARBAI farmers’ campout with military amphibian vehicles stationed within the 70-meter radius.

The farmer-beneficiaries have expressed alarm over their security with fears of being ejected again from their government-awarded lands.

Progressive murals

Meanwhile, Mariano and the DAR received support from other government officials who attended the agency’s flag-raising ceremony and installation of murals at the DAR Central Office lobby.

Murals on agrarian reform, national industrialization, social justice, self determination and other social issues by progressive artists have been installed along the main stairwell of the main DAR building in Quezon City.

Department of Social Work and Development secretary Judy Taguiwalo as well leaders of progressive groups, farmers and peasant organizations attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony.# ( Report and photos by Raymund B. Villanueva)

Progressive murals at the DAR lobby. (Photo by R. Villanueva)

 

PODCAST: Renato Baleros Sr on socio-economic reforms, bilateral ceasefire and political prisoners

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Ang panayam kay Renato Baleros Sr., Consultant ng National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) ay bahagi ng programa sa radyo sa panahon ng Kampuhan ng mga Lakbayanis ng Visayas. Ginanap ito noong Disyembre 7, 2016 sa Polytechnic University of the Philippines.

Sina Raymund Villanueva ng Kodao Productions at Ronalyn Olea ng Bulatlat.com at Vice President ng International Asspciation of Women in Radio and Television – Philippines ang mga tagapagpadaloy ng programa sa ilalim ng proyektong Radyo Tacloban.

KMP @ 30

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PAGBATI SA IKA-30 ANIBERSARYO NG KILUSANG MAGBUBUKOD NG PILIPINAS
Hulyo 25, 2015
Rey Claro Casambre
Executive Director
Philippine Peace Center

Sa ngalan ng Philippine Peace Center, malugod kong binabati ang kasapian at pamunuan ng Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) sa Ika-30 Anibersaryo ng pagkakatatag nito.

Nakikiisa kami sa sambayanang Pilipino sa pagbati sa inyo sa lahat ng tagumpay na inyong natamo sa pangunguna sa mga hayag na pakikibaka ng masang magsasaka at manggagawang bukid laban sa pyudal at malapyudal na pang-aapi at pagsasamantala sa kamay ng mga lokal at dayuhang naghaharing uri.

Nagiging tumpak at mabisa ang pangunguna ninyo sa mga pakikibakang ito dahil mahigpit ninyo itong iniuugnay sa pakikibaka ng buong sambayanang Pilipino para sa pambansang pagpapalaya, tunay na demokrasya at katarungang panlipunan. Sa gayon ay nagiging makabuluhan at mahalaga ang ambag ninyo sa pagpupukaw, pag-organisa at pagpapakilos ng masang magsasaka bilang pangunahing pwersa ng pambansa-demokratikong rebolusyon.

Taas-kamao kaming nagpupugay sa lahat ng kasapi ng KMP at mga magsasakang martir na nag-alay ng pinakamataas na sakripisyo para sa mga pakikibakang ito.

Mahigpit na nasasapol ng KMP ang kahalagahan ng paggamit sa lahat ng larangan at pamamaraan ng hayag na pakikibaka para sa pagsulong ng demokratiko at pambansang interes ng sambayanang Pilipino. Kami sa PPC ay mapalad at natutuwang makasama ang KMP sa pagtutulak ng negosasyong pangkapayapaan para maihayag ang tunay na kalagayan at mga karaingan ng masang anakpawis at ipaglaban ang kanilang mga karapatan at kagalingan. Aktibong lumahok ang KMP sa pagtutulak na mabuo at malagdaan ang Comprehensive Agreement on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law (CARHRIHL) sa pagitan ng Gobyerno ng Republika ng Pilipinas (GRP) at ng National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP). At matamang sumusubaybay at umaambag ang KMP sa pagbubuo ng mga panukala para sa Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms, kung saan ang Repormang Agraryo at ang karapatan at kagalingan ng mga magbubukid ay malalaki at mayor na mga usapin.

Puspusan at mapanlikhang nagagamit ng KMP ang reaksyunaryong Kongreso bilang isang plataporma sa pagtataguyod sa makauring interes ng masang magbubukid sa pamamagitan ng Anakpawis Party List at mga kaalyado nitong partido sa Blokeng Makabayan. Matingkad na halimbawa nito ang paglalantad sa CARP at CARPER at ang pagtataguyod ng Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill o GARB. Hindi rin nagpapabaya ang KMP sa pagtatanggol at pagtataguyod sa mga karapatang sibil, pulitikal at pang-ekonomya sa reaksyunaryong mga Korte, sa pagsasampa ng mga kaso laban sa mga hacendero at malalaking panginoong maylupa, o sa pagtatanggol sa mga magsasakang sinasampahan ng mga gawa-gawang kaso.

Malinaw sa KMP ang kahalagahan ng pandaigdigang pagkakaisa ng mga masang anakpawis. Aktibo itong lumalahok sa mga solidarity conferences at sa pagbubuo at pagpapalakas ng mga pormasyong anti-imperyalista tulad ng Asian Peasant Coalition at International League of People’s Struggle.

Sa kagyat, malaki ang nagagampanang papel, at malaki pa ang magagawa ng KMP sa puspusang paglalantad at paghihiwalay sa rehimeng US-Aquino, laluna dahil sa matingkad na katangiang cacique at malaking panginoong maylupa ni Benigo Simeon Aquino III, at dahil higit pa niyang isinusulong ang mga kagustuhan ng imperyalistang US sa pandarambong sa ekonomya at sa paggamit sa buong Pilipinas bilang malaking baseng militar para konsolidahin ang hegemoniya sa Asia-Pacific at kubkubin ang Tsina.

Malalaking hamon ang sasalubungin at mabibigat na tungkulin ang babalikatin ng KMP sa mga darating na buwan kaugnay ng APEC summit at pambansang eleksyon, at sa konteksto ng kampanya para patalsikin ang rehimeng US-Aquino at wakasan ang bulok at imbing paghahari nito. Buo ang tiwala naming sa PPC na matagumpay na matutugunan ng KMP ang mga hamon at tungkuling ito.

Mabuhay ang Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas!
Mabuhay ang masang magsasaka!
Mabuhay ang sambayanang Pilipino!
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