Change Means Land Reform Now, Peasants Camping Out in Mendiola Tell Aquino Published on July 3, 2010

 Change Means Land Reform Now, Peasants Camping Out in Mendiola Tell Aquino

Published on July 3, 2010

By MARYA SALAMAT
Bulatlat.com

“You are my boss,” President Aquino said in his inauguration speech to the people who cheered for the change he promised as against the corrupt, abusive Arroyo regime. But for the hundreds of farmers from Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog who for the first time in this country’s history held a rally on the inauguration day itself of a new president, that applauded boss-thing has not materialized yet. For them, at least.

Now camping out at the historic Mendiola Bridge, the farmers’ groups have been repeatedly negotiating with the police to be able to stay there to continuously push their demands for land in the first 100 days of Aquino’s government.

The farmers braved the June 30 threat of rains and heat to bring to Aquino’s attention their most immediate demands, but they were not even met by at least one of Aquino’s staff when they first tried to cross the Mendiola Bridge to enter Malacañang and personally hand to Aquino and his cabinet, who were meeting there for the first time, the farmers’ proposed immediate solutions to poverty.

Aquino did not even mention the problems of land reform in his inauguration speech, especially land reform in President Aquino’s Hacienda Luisita, said Bayan Muna Representative Teddy Casiño.... MORE

Source:  Bulatlat.com

URL: http://www.bulatlat.com/main/2010/07/03/change-means-land-reform-now-peasants-camping-out-in-mendiola-tell-aquino/