Unite our Marches in Booting the US-Aquino Regime!

Kadena Bicolandia con Manilakbayan

Press Release

References:  Ptr. Dan Balucio, Bayan Bicol

                     Vince Casilihan, Karapatan Bikol

November 16, 2014

BAYAN-BICOL and KARAPATAN-BIKOL, under the banner of KADENA Bicolandia, express their firm solidarity with hundreds of militant marchers from Mindanao in their Manilakbayan ng Mindanao 2014. This archipelagic journey of the peoples of the island aims to gather support for their struggle against massive and wanton plunder of the environment, and the corresponding militarization of communities.

Aptly hoisting the call “Food and Peace in MindaNow”, the march brings to the public’s attention the massive incursions by big foreign companies in mining, energy, and agro-business. These have targeted vast lands being tilled by peasants and Lumads, thus causing hunger and the destruction of the sources of peoples’ livelihoods, as well as the communities and the environment. Likewise, the call for peace befits the political situation in the regions of Mindanao, whereby in order to quell the peoples’ protests against plunder and destruction, and to secure foreign capitalist interests, the Aquino government has positioned around 55 combat battalions of the Philippine Army. Reinforcing these army battalions in attacking civilians are troops from the PNP, vigilante groups, and paramilitary units specifically formed to assist state forces in protecting and defending big foreign plunderers.

Manilakbayan ng Mindanao 2014 brings to the country’s seat of government in Manila at least 300 mass leaders, human rights victims and defenders who are Lumads, peasants, workers, women and children, church people, and other sectors. They will be nobly spanning major provinces of The Visayas, Bicol, and Southern Tagalog, and coordinate with solidarity activities on the road. BAYAN-BICOL and KARAPATAN-BIKOL, along with various other cause-oriented organizations in the region, welcome the marching delegates on Monday, November 17 in synchronization with KADENA Bikolandia, the region’s chain of protests against the Aquino regime’s ills. Our comrades from Mindanao, while drumming up their struggles, will also be linking up with the common fight of the poor and oppressed in the region.

With Bikol likewise suffering from the Aquino regime’s economic offensives and militarization, it is righteous to stand firm alongside the oppressed classes and sectors across the nation against our common persecutor. Millions of Filipinos yearn to break away from the destitution and cruelty being imposed by BS Aquino. As we gather nationwide dissent, a massive force of the people shall impel the ouster of a loathed regime.

It is in this same light that the heretofore monthly KADENA Bikolandia, of which BAYAN-BICOL and KARAPATAN-BIKOL are fervent campaigners, once more links the hundreds of mass action centers in the region. While KADENA Bikolandia supports and unites with the struggles of the peoples of Mindanao, Bicolanos likewise shout out their condemnation of BS Aquino’s criminal liability against the peasantry. Along with many other reproaches, we highlight our demand for justice to the Hacienda Luisita Massacre victims, who have not seen any perpetrator punished after ten years.

The Aquino government’s fundamental crime against the Hacienda Luisita Massacre victims is the denial of lands to the peasantry. And such is also the transgression afflicting the peasantry nationwide. In Bicol alone, the bogus CARP and CARP-ER continue to dispossess farmers of their lands through widespread cancellations of Certificates of Land Transfer, Certificates of Land Ownership Award, and Emancipation Patents. More so, Aquino negates the just transfer of the Php72 Billion Coco Levy Funds into the hands of coconut farmers, and instead drools to haul the said funds into the presidential pork barrel.

Similarly, just as the peoples of Mindanao are opposing militarization, Bicol’s communities also suffer from the brutalities and deception of Oplan Bayanihan. With the region being one of the priority areas of this disreputable counter-insurgency campaign, continuing violations of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law are being inflicted by the 9^th Infantry Division Philippine Army in its deceitful Peace and Development Operations across the region. And also, just as Aquino allows plunder and destruction in Mindanao, his Public-Private Partnership program in Bicol has done nothing but auction the region’s public assets – from minerals to energy to public utilities and services – to big foreign capitalists as well as big compradors that belong to the presidential clique.

With the nation being plunged deeper into the mire of poverty and injustice, it is therefore ever-righteous to carry on with our fight in expelling BS Aquino for his grave crimes against the Filipino people. We must defy fear and indifference and join the surge of the poor and oppressed in taking to the streets and fighting for justice and genuine progress.

Let hundreds of marchers unite with thousands and millions in triggering off tremors that will take down BS Aquino’s throne. Let our KADENA Bicolandia link with the nation’s struggle and render a despised regime its warranted ouster. ###