MANILA (Mindanao Examiner / Dec. 18, 2012) – Four Filipino farmers who were taking part in a hunger strike were rushed to hospital after they collapsed in the middle of their protest in Manila.
The four are part of the 56 farmers demanding the ouster of Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes who was accused of failing to fully implement the government’s Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program.
Those who were rushed to hospital were identified as Joel Pertes, from Hacienda Tilangkay Dako in Payao, Binalbagan; and Monico Alonsabi of Hacienda Angelita, La Castellana, both in Negros Occidental; and Regino Quizada, of Hacienda Carmenchica, of Pontevedra town, and Mark Balderas, of Hacienda Socorro Wagoner in Talisay town.
The hunger strike was launched by the farmers who are now holed up in the office of De los Reyes since December 14.
“How many more farmers have to be hospitalized before he finally acts and admits that he could not hack it? Six months have passed since our meeting with the President and all that De los Reyes has to show is a 25 percent accomplishment rating in land distribution, which should go down to 18 percent if the backlog is included,” Task Force Mapalad-Negros (TFM-Negros) president Alberto Jayme said.
Jayme said they met with President Benigno Aquino this year to bring to his attention the problems of the farmers. Aquino ordered the Department of Agrarian Reform to fast track the distribution of lands to the farmers, but Delos Reyes failed.
“He had been given a six-month reprieve by the President but he has botched it. Instead of attending to the farmers demanding land and long-term relief, De los Reyes has chosen to ignore them, flying to the Davao Region to avoid facing them about the issues confronting CARP,” Jayme said.
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