The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) having just signed the Manila Declaration of peasants together with fisher-folks from Pamalakaya and rural women from Amihan, will now march to Mendiola to demand Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s resignation. Marching with the farmers are “Gloria”, George W. Bush, Ex- Agri. Sec. Luisito Lorenzo and DILG Sec. Angelo Reyes as grim reapers, wrecking havoc on the lives   of the rural sector. According to Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of the group, “we have had enough of her promises and lies. It is best that she resign now so as not to further drag our country into ruin,”

“For more than three long agonizing years the state of our livelihood have only become worse under Gloria’s watch, it is now time for her to relinquish her power. With her pet bills like the entry to the World Trade Organization and the EPIRA, our lives have become harder and harder, foreign agricultural products are competing with our local produce unfairly, land-use conversion is rampant, militarization in the countryside is increasing, hunger is spreading like wildfire, there is massive corruption in all government agencies and genuine land reform has not been implemented. These are the reasons of peasants to call for Gloria’s resignation and there are thousands of reasons more from other sectors,” added the peasant leader.

As for his part Carl Anthony Ala, public information officer of KMP, said that peasants have also brought Matilda, a carabao from Batangas, to symbolize the hardworking and exploited peasant demanding Gloria’s resignation. “Matilda has come a long way from the countryside, to call for Gloria’s ouster, even animals are now against her,”
The onslaught of peasants from different regions was due to their demand to increase the farm gate price of palay (unmilled rice) from P7-P9 to the NFA price of P10.50-P12, but up till now the government has done nothing. # # #
 

KMP - 21 October 2004