The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) together with its regional chapter the Samahan han Gudti nga Parag-uma ha Sinirangan Bisayas (SAGUPA-SB) lambasted Department of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Michael Defensor for allowing the resumption of the logging operation of the San Jose Timber Corporations (SJTC) owned by Senator Juan Ponce Enrile. 

According to Danilo “Ka Daning” Ramos, secretary general of KMP, “No matter how you look at it, the move of Sec. Defensor is nothing but a simple case of political payback. A “you scratch my back, I scratch your back” scenario. Defensor got his confirmation from the Commission on Appointments (CA) and Enrile got his logging rights back, plain and simple,”

“Defensor should not try to wiggle or argue his way out of it because this is how most people see it, especially the people of Samar. Their lives and livelihood are put in peril just because of Defensor’s political ambition. The secretary should also not divert the issue, saying that Samar is poor because the people would not allow development through logging and mining. But the real reason why Samar is poor is that most of the land is concentrated on the hands of a few landlords, just like Enrile,” added the peasant leader.

Meanwhile Lito R. Gacusana, secretary general of SAGUPA-SB said, “We strongly denounce the resumption of the logging operation of SJTC because this will affect both upland and lowland peasant communities which solely depend their survival on forest resources. In this truly impoverished region, the destruction of forest resources and the unabated logging operations would only add insult to injury. Majority of the populace are peasants, suffering from the century- old problems of landlessness, usury, depressed prices of farm produce, high cost of production, among others. Resources provided by the forests not to mention the bounty of water sources provided by our trees are the only life- support system that we have. Our fertile plains are irrigated by the waters provided by our forests; non- timber forest resources like rubber, rattan, orchids, etcitera provide additional livelihood sources. Taking it all away would mean death for the Samareños”, 
  
“Besides, aside from fearing the loss of our livelihood support- systems and sources, we fear the escalation once again of human rights violations. What is the ultimate intention behind the strategically posting of the Reengineered Special Operation Team (RSOT) in several towns covered by the logging operation like Las Navas, Maslog and Paranas areas where there is intensified combat operations? It is clearly shown that escalating militarization all the more pave the way to provide greater access to conduct massive and large-scale logging activities in the area. We have a history of resistance met by force and some of the bruises and wounds we sustained in the wave of killings and abductions in Samar are reminiscent of the state’s outright use of violence to curb dissent and opposition to issues like logging,” ended Gacusana. # # #
 

KMP - 8 November 2005