The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and its local chapter the Alyansa ng Manggagawang-bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA), exposed the evil machinations and attempts to derail the Luisita struggle by an opportunist organization.

According to Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of KMP, “we have been monitoring moves of an opportunist organization to get into Hacienda Luisita to sow intrigue and divide the militant organization in the plantation. We have received reports that an Ed Pancho and a certain Danny have been going to the hacienda and identified themselves as members of Peace Foundation, when news that the stock distribution option (SDO) will finally be revoked. This so-called Peace Foundation is now trying to get into the picture of the Hacienda Luisita struggle when the militant farm workers won an initial victory. But where were they when the struggle started? 

“When the Department of Agrarian Reform Secretary Nasser Pagdangaman yesterday announced the DAR recommendation for the recall of the SDO, another member of Peace Foundation named Nolan, was spreading the rumor that Rene “Ka Boyet” Galang was abducted last night. Our information officer Carl Anthony Ala saw this Nolan when he was spreading this rumor to reporters covering the event,” said the peasant leader.

Meanwhile Rene “Ka Boyet” Galang, president of United Luisita Worker’s Union (ULWU) and chairperson of AMBALA, “this Peace Foundation is in no way connected with our union, nor with AMBALA as well as our militant struggle for our land in Hacienda Luisita. Their rumor mongering that I was abducted when I am currently getting so many death threats is dubious and would have created a lot of trouble in the picket line. Their motives are highly suspect, and what do they know of any plot to abduct or assassinate me?”

“We have struggled for our land for so long and we will not tolerate opportunists who wants to get into the limelight by imposing themselves on our struggle when we have attained a victory. For all we know they are just using the Hacienda Luisita issue to misrepresent us and claim that it is their struggle to get foreign funding. This is the usual modus operandi of these pseudo-progressive opportunists. But for all their misdeeds they cannot derail the struggle of farmers for genuine land reform,” ended Galang. # # #
 

KMP - 1 October 2005