The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) burned one “star-spangled” banner every hour starting from 6:00 in the afternoon today at the University of the Philippines campus in Diliman, Quezon City as a fiery welcome to United States President George W. Bush’s arrival tomorrow.

KMP secretary general Danilo Ramos said, “we offer each American flag burned to the Filipino peasantry’s heroic resistance to US imperialism.”

Ramos said that the Filipino peasantry’s message is loud and clear: “Stop US Wars of Aggression! Stop US Intervention in the Philippines! End the US-Arroyo Terrorist Regime!”

He also added that, “onerous and one-sided economic dictates of the US, perpetuated and increased the backwardness and dependence of Philippine economy particularly in agriculture. The US is a “parasite” that’s bleeding the Filipino people dry.”

Farmers from Southern Tagalog, Ilocos, Cagayan Valley and the Bicol regions who staged a week-long “Lakbayan-Sakbayan ng Anakpawis Laban sa Kahirapan at Imperyalistang Agresyon” camped in front of the Department of Agriculture since yesterday. 

In the afternoon, the farmers attended the “Peace Rally” also attended by Vice-President Teofisto Guingona inside the Quezon Memorial Circle before proceeding to UP Diliman where they held a protest concert billed as “Anakpawis…Rage Against Bush!”

The KMP-led protesters are expected to be the first contingent to move to Batasang Pambansa early morning tomorrow and will highlight the burning of 100 American flags along Commonwealth Avenue.

Meanwhile, 5,000 farmers belonging to the Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid ng Gitnang Luzon (AMGL-KMP) started their vigil and American flag-burnings at the “Salakot”, the main entrance of the former US military base in Clark Field, Pampanga. 

Farmers across the country are expected to launch massive anti-Bush protests nationwide, particularly in major urban centers like Baguio, Vigan and Tuguegarao cities in the North and Cebu, Davao and Cagayan De Oro cities in the South. # 
 

KMP - 17 October 2003