The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) castigated Tarlac Rep. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III for misrepresenting the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) and saying that they will no longer help in the settlement of the Luisita dispute because of the so-called intrasingence of its labor leaders. 

According to Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secreatry general of KMP, “Noynoy’s statement is pure hogwash. I just called Bishop Fernando Capalla, president of CBCP, and he said they never said that,also Noynoy is not present in their meetings and has no authority to issue statements regarding their positions on issues,”

“That is mere propaganda on the part of the Cojuangco-Aquino clans to prevent the people from seeing the real score and that up till now the management is dealing with the farm workers in bad faith, and even resorted to have Tarlac Councilor Abel Ladera killed to silence him. Now another Luisita supporter named Danny Macapagal of BAYAN-Nueva Ecija was abducted early this morning at his house by unidentified armed men. This is the continuation of the reign of terror of the Northern Luzon Command as well as the Cojuangco-Aquino clans,” added the peasant leader.

As for his part Carl Anthony Ala,public information officer of KMP, “it is in this light that the military also wants to silence the media in interviewing so-called terrorist organizations, that they themselves will brand. When you complain or air your grievances against the military and the government you and/or your organization will be branded as  terrorist. This is not only the curtailment of the freedom of speech and of expression, this is patently a fascist maneuver of the AFP and Malacanang,”

“What they want is media on a leash and will only say what the military or Malacanang wants to hear. The anti-terror bill has not even been enacted yet but the human rights situation in our country is in such a dire strait that we now next to Iraq as the most dangerous place for journalists,” added Ala.

“If this law is passed media would not only have a leash on its neck it would also have a cocked gun pointed at its temple,” ended Ala. # # #
 

KMP - 3 March 2005