The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) is now studying the land-grabbing case in Maguiring,Solana, Cagayan, which was submitted by the farmers from the controversial 375 hectare forest reserve. 

According to Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of KMP, “the Solana case has many parallel cases in the whole archipelago, like that of the land grabbing case in Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro, in Negros and in Leyte. In these cases, the usual tactic used by the land-grabber is the criminalization of agrarian cases, like what former congressman Ricardo Quintos did, with the Mamburao 7, he charged them at first with qualified theft then double murder, so that they would stop fighting for their right to till the soil, in Negros and in Leyte, arson cases were filed against farmers who only burned the rice husks after harvest,”  

“Atty. Victor Padilla’s tactic is long known by farmers and the only effective way to win against it is the militant and united struggle of farmers. If this is not present, then he would use all his influence and connections to get the land and he would not stop until he does. So it is really imperative that the Solana farmers should form an organization that would fight for genuine land reform and national industrialization. It is only through the unity and continuing struggle of the peasant class, that cases like these can be stopped or at least be minimized,” added the peasant leader.

“All arenas should also be utilized so that the land-grabber would see that we are really serious in our struggle for land. Cases should be filed, petitions should be signed, picket rallies should be conducted, dialogues should be set and the like, so that everybody will see that we are ready to fight, no matter what happens, for our right to till the land,” said Ramos.

“Our primary strength is our unity and if we do the requisites in launching a struggle for land, even if he wins in every courting the land, he cannot evict us from the land. We have proven this in numerous occasions like in Tungkong Mangga,San Jose del Monte,Bulacan, in Brgy. Cabanggaan, Silang, Cavite and even in Hacienda Luisita. We are one with the Solana farmers and we are willing to help,” ended the peasant leader. # # #
 

KMP - 22  April  2005