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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

Previous Comments

Amen to this post Mordsith, his advocacy was wasted b y people who do not support his desire for the other farmers to get fair shares of land, basically from land grabbers.

Posted by sheng at June 10, 2009, 2:36 pm

He’s leaving a great legacy.

“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.” - sana ganito ang foundation ng governance sa Pilipinas.

Posted by witsandnuts at June 10, 2009, 3:54 pm

And I only knew him through this post. A great man indeed. My greatest respect for the work he has accomplished and for the struggles he faced in his life. May his life be an example and inspiration to all of us and his death be the spark of a movement to continue his advocacy.

Posted by kaka at June 10, 2009, 4:02 pm

i pray that his sacrifices will not be in vain…

Posted by kg at June 10, 2009, 5:30 pm

“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.”

-well you cannot blame the government for what they are doing most specially the legislative department. remember that our gov’t caters all the needs of the people..dami rin silang gawain noh, and isa lng sa issue ang CARP.

im not against CARP. siguro we should just have to lobby na i-prioritize nila ang passage.

heehee. a different punto de vista lang.bwheheh..

sori ngayon lang ulit ako nakadaan.heehee

Posted by sexy at June 11, 2009, 11:56 am

hello, sexy. matagal ka rin hindi dumaan. :)

i am not advocating for CARP specifically. this post is really about the celebration of a man's life dedicated to fighting for what he believed in. and this is really to stop prioritizing ConAss and attending to urgent matters. besides, when asked, these members of the congress don't know what to do yet after they had convened themselves as the constituent assembly. imagine that. imagine the timing.

and we cannot blame the government if they are doing their job with sincerity. :)

Posted by mordsith at June 11, 2009, 12:21 pm

“Police said that his death may have been a cause of personal grudge, and not of his advocacy.”

–yes, i am so sure he has so many enemies. and i am so sure it has nothing to do with his advocacy. the police are right to say that… just like when they hinted, nay, accused ted failon as one of the suspects in the death of his wife.

xxx

masakit tanggapin na ang mga taong inihalal ng taong-bayan upang protektahan ang mga walang kapangyarihan ang siya pang nangunguna sa pagsupil ng kakaunting karapatan na natitira sa kanila. ang ipinaglalaban ni ka rene ang isa sa mga bagay na dapat pinagtutunan ng mga mambabatas natin at hindi ang napakawalang-kwentang pagpapalit ng saligang batas. batid ko, batid nating lahat na ang mga magsasaka ay isang sektor lamang ng lipunan at hindi lamang sila ang dapat na pinagtutuuang-pansin ng gobyerno. pero ang masakit dito, ay ang katotohanang naka-pokus ang mga buwaya sa lehislatura sa mga bagay na walang ibang makikinabang kundi sila at ang mga dinidiyos nila.

tanggap ko ang kahalagahan ng saligang batas. ngunit napakabata pa ng ating saligang batas upang husgahan ang kanyang kakulanagan (kung mayroon man). kung taos sa puso ang layunin ng mga kongresistang sumang-ayon sa pag-amyenda ng saligang batas, bakit halos mahigit sa kalahati sa kanila ay hindi kayang humarap sa publiko at sabihing sila ay sumangayon sa resolusyong naglalayong amyendahan ang saligang batas? at hindi lamang ito, bakit hindi naging dokumentado ang kanilang botohan?

ang punto ko lang: hindi lamang mali ang ginagawa ng mga mambabatas na ito; mali pa ang pinagtutuunan nila ng pansin.

sana ay marami pang tulad ni ka rene na handang ibigay ang kanilang sarili para sa kanyang kapwa — hindi katulad ng mga mambabatas isasakripisyo ang kapakanan ng kapwa para lamang sa sarili nilang ikabubuti.

Posted by hunk at June 11, 2009, 5:22 pm

Very good post. There are so many similar stories, lalo na nung Marcos era… It’s very disturbing. “Personal grudge”? I doubt it.

Posted by garando at June 11, 2009, 11:58 pm

nice post mordsmith.. same here, i never knew him not after his death. i salute his advocacy. long live pinoys! :D

Posted by -dylan- at June 12, 2009, 8:25 am

Nakakalungkot naman :(

Posted by jetty at June 14, 2009, 4:45 am

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