The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP), showed its all out support to its members attending the Senate hearing concerning the Hacienda Luisita massacre. According to Ka Lita Mariano, national council member of the group “we hope that this investigation would not come to naught and just be a scene for a public exoneration of the culprits behind the massacre that killed 14 people. Farm-workers who only want a better life but instead was met by the barrel of a gun,”

“All their lives farm workers in the hacienda have worked hard but to what avail, all their efforts have come to naught, because of the stock distribution option, their right to their lands were lost and the only ones who prospered were the Cojuangcos. When they fought for their right what did the Cojuangcos and the government did, it employed the full force of the law, through a massacre,” added the peasant leader

The stock distribution option (SDO) started in 1989, when the Aquino-Cojuangco families forced it upon their farm-workers. The farm-workers were made to choose between voting for the SDO or to leave the hacienda.

“They used the tactic of principle vs food against us, of course many opted for the latter, but eventually this ended and we were left with nothing to eat,” said Rene “Ka Boyet” Galang, president of the United Luisita Worker’s Union (ULWU) and Alyansa ng Manggagawang-Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA).

“Is it wrong to assert our right to a better life? Is it wrong to fight for our land? If not, then why did they shoot at us as if we were pigs and now they are even blaming us for the death of our comrades. We are the aggrieved party and yet they have the gall to accuse us of being at fault. It is not a question of if they were leftists or rightists in our ranks or of who started it, we have people dead and tortured and they were the ones (Cojuangcos, AFP-PNP, DOLE, DAR and Malacanang)who did it. Unless we do not have the land to till, then our struggle and our strike will continue,” ended Galang. # # #
 

KMP - 24 November 2004