The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) together with the Pamalakaya, Amihan and other sectors and organizations will embark on a caravan to Hacienda Luisita on November 15, 2004, to show their support for the striking farm workers and workers in the plantation. Dubbed as the “Karaban Laban sa Tanggalan at Karahasan sa Hacienda Luisita, it will start at the Quezon Memorial Circle and will be met by outher groups on the way to the hacienda

According to Carl Anthony Ala, public information officer of KMP, “this is to show the Cojuangcos and the Aquinos that the strikers are not alone in their struggle for land and a decent living. This is also to disprove their claim that only, a minority of the workers are participating in the strike. As a matter of fact, more than 90% of the workers and farm workers are on strike and almost all of the operations of the azucarera are crippled.

Meanwhile, Carina Espino, secretary general of Alyansa ng mga Manggagawangbukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) “the people of Hacienda Luisita will resist at all cost the reported plan by the military and police to once again attempt to violently disperse the picket lines of the striking workers of the United Luisita Worker’s Union (ULWU) and the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Labor Union (CATLU).

“The impending attack on the legitimate rights of the suffering people of the Hacienda Luisita will be done upon the instigation of the Cojuangco family and on the basis of an assumption of jurisdiction (AJ) order issued by Labor Secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas. They have resorted to the flimsiest technicality-absence of a strike vote-to evade their responsibility to the workers and the people of Hacienda Luisita,” ended Espino.# # #
 

KMP - 13 November 2004