The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) demanded the immediate release and indemnification of the Kabangkalan 5,who were illegally arrested and slapped with trumped up charges by the military under the Alpha Company 61st IB. 

According to Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of KMP, our local chapter reported “Abraham Villanueva, Marilou Villava, Charity Amacan, Dario Dayanan and Moreto Junson were taken by the military around 9pm on September 30. The four were detained at the Kabangkalan City Police Station, while Moreto Junson is still being kept by the military at the 303rd Brigade base in Murtia, Negros Oriental. But as of 3pm last October 1, the four were taken from the police station by Col. Flores based in Piling, Cauayan, Negros Occidental,”

“The military took the 2 laptops being used by the group in their meetings and they were charged with illegal possession of firearms. But we would like to reiterate that the Kabangkalan 5 are legitimate members of KMP and the National Federation of Sugar Workers (NFSW) and they are not in any way connected with any armed group. The military is clearly involved in harassment operations against our organization. A similar case would be the Mamburao 7 who after 7 years is in still in prison for a crime they did not commit,” added the peasant leader.

Meanwhile Ka Willy Marbella, internal deputy secretary general of KMP said, “ as we see it this is part of the so called calibrated preemptive response (CPR) policy of the regime, which does not only apply to rallies but also in the mass base of organizing of staunch progressive and anti-Arroyo forces.  They are preempting not just our rallies but for our organization to further expand and consolidate its ranks. This policy involves harassments, abductions and even summary executions to scare the people to stand up for their rights,”

“We have been monitoring a new wave of violence perpetrated by the government against our ranks since the declaration of the CPR, on September 22, the crops of our chapter in San Jose del Monte, Bulacan were uprooted by goons, on the same day Ka Diosdado Fortuna of PAMANTIK-KMU was killed, last Oct. 1, another labor leader was killed in CARAGA region, and last night Celia Esteban, An ANAKPAWIS leader was abducted in Lennec, Guimba, Nueva Ecija, a few hours afterwards Amado Javier Jr. another ANAKPAWIS leader was killed in Sta. Lara, Cuyapo, Nueva Ecija. All these are part of a systematic and coordinated plan to silence the critics of the regime of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. # # #
 

KMP - 3 October 2005