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Fight for Land, Fight for Justice

June 10, 2009

I am grieving over the death of Rene Peñas. Sadly, I only knew his name after his death.

He is one of the leaders of the Sumilao farmers in Bukidnon. I only know them as the Sumilao farmers who in 2007 marched from Bukidnon to Manila to grant them 144 hectares of agricultural land in Sumilao, which was long overdue, decades actually. Their 1,770-kilometer march was named, “Walk for Land, Walk for Justice”. In 2008, they were given 50 hectares.

Before the end of his life, he advocated for the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program with Extension and Reform (CARPER) bill, which would allow distribution of another l.3 million hectares of lands to farmers. He was ecstatic when the bill was passed last Wednesday. Last Friday, he was shot dead—with a shotgun—by assailants waiting for him on the road. His family suspected that it may be related to another land issue, with Ka Rene helping other farmer beneficiaries of CARP in other land claims.

Now, his body was brought in Quezon City. The family said that it was to fulfill his wish to attend the bicameral conference committee hearing on the CARPER bill. This may also be a time for his fellow farmers and activists to see him one last time and to celebrate the life of a great man. Senate Minority Leader Nene Pimentel speaks of Ka Rene,

a selfless and courageous leader who dedicated his life to the emancipation of farmers from the bondage of tenancy to improve their lives through economic opportunities that will open up to them by acquiring ownership of the lands they are tilling.

 

Police said that his death may have been a cause of personal grudge, and not of his advocacy. I can only think of the probability that they are wrong. Extrajudicial killings have been rampant in this country, where leaders are deaf to the cries to the people and are greedy for power. Too many journalists, student activists, and political leaders have either died or disappeared. Maybe it is not too far-fetched to consider that Ka Rene must have also befallen this same fate. And maybe it is high time that, instead of occupying themselves with senseless ConAss or reading slimming pills review for their bulging tummies resulting from gluttony for food and for power, the government should take action in hearing the pleas of the people and not in ensuring they die of hunger or from bullets.

Ka Rene is a testimony that we can do something for this country. We can stop trying to be selfish and start concerning ourselves with the plight of our community. It is quite hard to walk a thousand kilometer just to be heard. It is quite harder for the government to give justice—political and social.

 

Posted by mordsith at 12:31 pm | permalink | comments[10]