This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. V, No. 49, January 22-28, 2006
On the 19th
year of the Mendiola Massacre
BY GERRY ALBERT
CORPUZ
On the 19th year of the
Mendiola Massacre, the peasants' blood flowed once more, this time to seal an
oath to give justice to the martyrs in the struggle for genuine agrarian
reform.
Leaders of the progressive peasant
alliance Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP or Peasant Movement of the
Philippines), survivors of the 1987 Mendiola massacre and the 2004 Hacienda
Luisita massacre signed their names with their blood as they pledged their
commitment to a manifesto to continue the peasant struggle and to oust the
Macapagal-Arroyo regime.
The blood compact was the highlight
of the protest in commemoration of the 1987 Mendiola Massacre as well as the 5th
year of the EDSA People Power uprising. The protesters were blocked by a phalanx
of police on Recto Avenue, about 200 meters away from the historic Mendiola
Bridge.
KMP Secretary General Danilo Ramos
led the blood compact which he called "an oath as well as a declaration of war
of the oppressed classes against President Arroyo and her regime’s move to make
the 1987 Constitution more reactionary and submissive to the dictates of
imperialist U.S."
Beginning of GMA’s end
"This is the beginning of President
Arroyo's end," declared Ramos as he and 10 other peasant leaders from Central
and Southern Luzon went up a makeshift stage, cut themselves on their left arms,
and let the blood flow into a coconut shell. One by one they dipped a rice stalk
in blood and wrote Oust Gloria and other slogans on the manifesto which was
pasted on a white cloth.
"Land and justice to victims of
Mendiola Massacre! Junk Chacha, Junk Gloria!" chanted the crowd estimated at
3,000.
"This is it. There is no turning
back. We will give what Mrs. Arroyo wants, and that is the peasant revolt in the
next three months," Ramos said. "The peasant blood compact promises 100 days of
disquiet and stirring protests against the illegitimate President Arroyo and her
gang of puppet, brutal and corrupt associates and their syndicated move to
clinch Chacha and scrap the 2007 national elections," said Ramos.
Ramos, a Mendiola Massacre survivor
noted that the 1987 Constitution prior to its ratification through a plebiscite
in February 1987 was presided with "mass slaughter of peasants by state troops.
Mrs. Arroyo's cha-cha (charter change) is a national political curse. It will
set the stage for more political and economic massacres and allow the criminal
and illegitimate administration of GMA to finish an illegally and brutally
acquired presidency till 2010. This is unacceptable and unpardonable to the
Filipino peasantry," Ramos asserted.
"These three patrons of cha-cha are
underestimating the Filipino peasants and other progressive forces in the fight
against cha-cha and for Ms Arroyo's ouster," he added. © 2006 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.
Peasants' Blood Compact Signals 100
Days of Protest vs GMA, Chacha
On January 22, 1987 at the historic Mendiola Bridge, soldiers drew
first blood as they opened fire on demonstrators calling on the government to
implement genuine agrarian reform. Since this resulted in 13 demonstrators being
killed, this came to be known as the Mendiola Massacre which has been
commemorated ever since. In remembering what happened 19 years ago, peasants
once more literally shed blood.
Bulatlat
The protesters belonged to Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan or New
Patriotic Alliance), Gloria Step Down Movement, Kilusang Mayo Uno (KMU or May
First Movement), Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay or Alliance of Urban
Poor Associations), Confederation for the Unity, Recognition and Advancement of
Government Employees (Courage), Migrante (Migrants), Anakbayan (Sons and
Daughters of the People), Gabriela, party-list groups Bayan Muna (People First)
and AnakPawis (Toiling Masses).
Willy Marbella, KMP deputy secretary general for internal affairs, said that KMP
affiliate organizations in 59 provinces and 15 regions nationwide will stage
pockets of peasant resistance and protests that would culminate on or before May
1, 2006.
"January 20 marks the beginning of Mrs. Arroyo's end. This is not a prophecy but
a political assessment of the situation, based on the determination and
collective sentiment of the Filipino peasantry," Marbella said.
KMP said that the 100-percent foreign equity ownership of land, the foreign
takeover of media and other vital installations and the watering down of the
Bill of Rights provisions of the 19-year old charter are compelling reasons to
reject cha-cha and its proponents, led by Mrs. Arroyo, former President Fidel
Ramos and House Speaker Jose de Venecia.
Support for the Magdalo Four
The KMP also praised the patriotism of the four escaped Magdalo junior officers
who called on the Filipino people to continuously refuse the bogus Arroyo
regime. "The high level of patriotism and recognition of the Filipino people's
sovereign will is a political testament and statement that the Magdalo Four will
not resort to military adventurism contrary to statements issued by the
pro-Arroyo generals in the AFP."
The four young officers implicated in the July 2003 Oakwood mutiny escaped from
detention last week and vowed to contribute more to the cause of the Filipino
people and the ouster of Arroyo. The escape of Capt. Nathaniel Rabonza, 1st
Lieutenants Lawrence San Juan, Sonny Sarmiento and Patricio Bumidang from Fort
Bonifacio on Jan. 17 was reportedly facilitated by a clandestine group called
Young Officers Union new generation (YOUng).
KMP stressed, “These patriotic military officers are expressing the right
political prescription: uphold the principle of civilian supremacy over the
military in ousting the bogus regime of Ms Arroyo."
The militant group said that the relatives of victims and survivors of Mendiola
Massacre and other forms of state terrorism shared the same views with the
patriotic officers that the Arroyo regime, her loyal supporters in the House of
Representatives and among the police and military are the real enemies of the
people.
"The Magdalo officers and the YOUng patriots are right. President Arroyo
champions the system of illegitimacy, corruption and neglect and perpetuates
herself to power at the expense of the majority of the Filipino people," KMP
said. Bulatlat