The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) exposed the moves of the Cojuangco-Aquino clan to replace Tarlac provincial commander Col. Catalan with someone that is more fascist and under their pay. According to Ka Willy Marbella , spokesperson of the group, “we have A1 information that the family of former president Corazon Aquino are using their influence to have Col. Catalan sacked andbe replaced by Tarlac City Police Chief Col. Alcoriza. This is due to the fact that Catalan promised that if a dispersal would indeed take place they would only use water cannons and not guns, while Alcoriza may opt for the latter,”

“We also have information that Col. Alcoriza is very close to the Cojuangcos particularly DILG Assistant Secretary for Special Concerns Margarita “Ting-ting” Cojuangco. The Cojuangcos are really hellbent on not giving the legitimate and just demands of the strikers and they are willing to commit another massacre to prove it,” added the peasant leader.

As for his part Carl Anthony Ala, public information officer of KMP, “the aggregate forces of the PNP are in Camp Macabulos and are still massing up. What is most irregular here is that these PNP forces are not only from Central Luzon others came from the Cordilleras, Benguet and even Taguig. Now who ordered this deployment? The Department of Labor and Employment cannot do this, so obviuosly Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered this move. She is the only one mandated to do so,”

“If that is the case then the president’s connivance with the Cojuangco-Aquinos can hardly be denied and should be condemned to high heavens. They are again laying the grounds for another massacre and they should be stopped,” ended Ala. 

As can be remebered today is the 18th anniverssary of the Mendiola Massacre which killed 13 farmers from the KMP, who are only demending that genuine land reform to be implemented.# # #

KMP - 22 January 2005