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

According to Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of the group “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, Carl Anthony Ala, public information officer of KMP “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 Ala.

Anakpawis congressman and KMP chairman Rep. Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano, as well as Bayan Muna Reps. Satur Ocampo and Teodoro Casino will also join the caravan. This will also serve as a preliminary investigation of the congressional inquiry filed by Rep. Mariano.# # #
 

KMP - 15 November 2004