“Just like in the crisis brought about by typhoons Yolanda and Pablo, BS Aquino’s daang matuwid has again proven itself worthless and the ultimate disaster in the lives of the Filipino people. The farmer-victims of the El Niño phenomenon in North Cotabato who are starving because of the government’s incompetence in handling the calamity have become victims of state terrorism,” Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general, said.
“Just like in the crisis brought about by typhoons Yolanda and Pablo, BS Aquino’s daang matuwid has again proven itself worthless and the ultimate disaster in the lives of the Filipino people. The farmer-victims of the El Niño phenomenon in North Cotabato who are starving because of the government’s incompetence in handling the calamity have become victims of state terrorism,” Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general, said.
About 6,000 farmers from different municipalities of North Cotabato province mounted a protest action on March 30 asking the local government for 15,000 sacks of rice as food assistance due to the El Niño drought. While the farmers were asserting their right to be heard, the police started firing. Two died of gunshot wounds—Enrico Fabligar and Darwin Sulang. Enrico Fabligar was a resident living near the rally site and was not among the protesters. Victor Lumandang, earlier reported killed, currently remains in the Midway Hospital-Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and is in critical condition. Rotello Daelto, who was also reported killed, is now in San Pedro Medical Center in Davao City. Daelto has gunshot wounds in the face and legs.
“This is the regime’s typical response—rubbish! This is what the regime did to Cristina Jose, a typhoon Pablo survivor who led her community in calling for the immediate distribution of relief goods to the typhoon victims,” Palabay said. Jose was killed on March 4, 2013 after joining the barricades in Montevista, Compostela Valley last January 15, 2013 and at the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Office in Davao City last February 24 to 25, 2013. The DSWD refused to distribute relief goods to victims.
“As early as 2014, there had already been warnings on the adverse impact of El Niño. The BS Aquino regime, through the Department of Agriculture (DA) boasted ‘to combat effects of El Nino’. The DA, in cahoots with the local government, came out with so many, even ridiculous excuses for delaying the distribution of food assistance,” Palabay said.
“The Aquino government has literally left the victims of disasters to die of starvation or they get killed in fighting for their lives. The anti-poor character of this haciendero president has again revealed itself,” Palabay said. “The BS Aquino regime is both guilty of criminal negligence and killings.”
Bayan, Karapatan and the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas will lead a National Fact-finding and Humanitarian Mission (NFHM) to Kidapawan, North Cotabato on April 4-6 to gather additional information on the recent violent dispersal of farmers and to contribute legal, paralegal, documentation, medical and food support.