We enjoin democratic and social sectors to stand with farmers and to condemn and oppose all forms of red-tagging and terror tagging against the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP).
We call on democracy-loving individuals and institutions to stand with farmers and condemn the red tagging against KMP. Based on our long experience, red-tagging and the more ominous terror-tagging, lead to far worse rights violations including political persecution and filing of trumped-up charges, and in worst cases, extrajudicial killings, and gruesome massacres.
KMP and its leaders, members, chapters, and affiliates have been constant targets of red-tagging from the local to national level. Red tagging is dangerous and deadly. Redtagging often leads to the killing of farmers and peasant leaders and, the illegal arrest and detention of activists and civilians who are exercising their freedom of expression, freedom of assembly, and right to self-organization. Redtagging must stop now.
The practice of red-tagging by the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTFELCAC) has no other purpose but to silence dissent and criticism and repress the growing opposition against the government for its anti-people policies. With the Marcos Jr government's avowed goal of ending the communist insurgency through a so-called "whole of nation approach" in tandem with draconian measures without effectively addressing the root causes of such insurgency, the government persistently turned its forces towards the civilians and groups who are asserting their basic rights and fundamental freedoms in a democratic society.
The latest wholesale red tagging against KMP is unfounded, baseless, and malicious. It is part of the Marcos Jr administration's intensifying political repression campaign directed at legal and legitimate people organizations as sanctioned by the United States government's Counterinsurgency (US COIN).
An April 6 report of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) presented during the NTF-ELCAC National Executive meeting cited and identified the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) as among the so-called "30 CTG Front Organizations."
The said NTF-ELCAC report also cited government "accomplishment" in granting Certificate of Land Ownership Awards (CLOA) to Agrarian Reform Beneficiaries, wholly denying the brewing land and peasant struggles happening nationwide as a result of the bogus CARP and perennial problem of landlessness and land grabbing.
Instead of providing much-needed relief and production support to El Nino-stricken farmers, the NTF-ELCAC is spewing lies and disinformation. This neverending blabbering of the NTF-ELCAC further proves the class interest and bias of the Marcos Jr regime favoring landlords and big businesses.
Farmers and rural sectors suffer the most under the present regime. The most number of victims of state-sponsored human rights violations and militarization come from the peasant sector. Farmers also comprise the majority of the 799 political prisoners in the country.
As of late, KMP has been firm and consistent in its opposition to Marcos Jr's Charter Change, in its demand to abolish and defund the NTFELCAC, in demanding aid for the El Nino-affected rural population, and in its advocacy of farmers' rights and democratic demands.
We demand a stop to the attacks against farmers and the peasant masses. In many parts of the country, farmers cannot freely go to their farms because their communities are highly militarized and deployed with battalions of battle-ready soldiers. The capacity and capabilities of local peasant associations are clipped when their leaders and members are being redtagged and forced to surrender. Farmers are being terrorized day and night by the State and its paid mercenaries.
Instead of heeding the plight of farmers and strengthening domestic agriculture, the Philippine government weaponized the law and used such laws against farmers, fisherfolk, peasant women, agricultural workers, and the rural youth.
WHAT CAN WE DO?
We must push back, and we must push back with determination to demand a stop to these attacks against farmers who feed the nation.
We call on all our democracy-loving individuals and institutions, especially workers, human rights defenders, indigenous peoples’ rights advocates, Church people, environment defenders, and all sectors here and abroad to support the #STANDWITHFARMERS campaign and stand with farmers who are fighting against landlessness, injustice, impunity and the weaponization of the law in the Philippines.
We urgently appeal for your support and solidarity by:
1. Writing letters and statements supporting the human rights defenders arbitrarily accused of terrorism and send the letters and statements to the following:
Mr. Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., President of the Republic of the Philippines
Fax: +632 742-1641 / 929-3968 / +632 87368621
Email: op@president.gov.ph/pcc@malacanang.gov.phor send a message through http://president.gov.ph/contact-us/
Eduardo Año
National Security Adviser and Director General of the National Security Council
East Avenue corner V. Luna Road, Quezon City, Philippines
Email: publicaffairs@nsc.gov.ph
Mr. Jesus Crispin C. Remulla, Secretary, Department of Justice of the Philippines
Fax: +632 521-1614 / +632 85262618
Atty. Richard Palpal-latoc
Chairperson, Commission on Human Rights of the Philippines
Email: ocrpp@chr.gov.ph
2. Issuing statements of solidarity with a clear message to #StandWithFarmers to be circulated in your networks, to the public and media circles, and calling on the Philippine government to junk the Anti-Terrorism Act which is being weaponized and brandished to suppress dissent, and harass human rights defenders and other political activists and to Junk EO 70 and abolish the NTF-ELCAC.
3. Publish these solidarity statements on your websites, and social media platforms, among others, using the following calls:
Stand with farmers!
Stop the attacks vs. farmers who feed the nation
Please send us a copy of your email to the above-named officials, to our address: kilusangmagbubukid@gmail.com.
4. Join and or spearhead #StandWithFarmers activities and actions in your schools, Churches, offices and places of work, communities, and art circles. You may also sponsor webinars in cooperation with farmers' organizations and peasant advocates.
For more inquiries, email kilusangmagbubukid@gmail.com and visit tanggolmagsasaka.com. ###
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