[asia-apec 1401] [KMP Updates] Peasant leader falsely accused of killing mayor

[tpl at cheerful.com]

News release
15 February 2000

Peasants falsely accused in mayor's slay

VICTORIA, ORIENTAL MINDORO -- MILITANT groups 
in the Southern Tagalog region condemned the Estrada 
administration for its blind, blanket vindictiveness 
against peasants when state forces blamed them for 
the death of a mayor in this province.

The Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa 
Timog Katagalugan (KASAMA-TK) said that a warrant 
of arrest has been issued against Larry Aparato, vice-
chairman of the Katipunan ng mga Samahang 
Magbubukid sa Mindoro Oriental (KASAMA-MO), for his 
alleged involvement in the slaying of San Teodoro mayor 
Oscar Aldaba.

Earlier, six unnamed people were picked up for the 
same accusation but were released yesterday.  
Harassment of the population by elements of Task 
Force Seagull PA since January 29 has not abated and 
have claimed innocent lives, including leaders of 
people's organizations working for genuine land reform. 
Curfews have been implemented in Bgy. Antonio where 
Aparato lives, preventing farmers from going about their 
normal farm chores. 

Twenty-eight families from the barangay evacuated 
their farms, while 13 more families in neighboring 
barangays also fled the military operations. According to 
the rights group Karapatan-Oriental Mindoro, ten 
children have fallen seriously ill in an evacuation center 
in the capitol Calapan.

Orly Marcellana, KASAMA-TK secretary general, 
added that towns in Oriental Mindoro are also 
experiencing heightened military harassment from 
pursuing units of the government who are chasing NPA 
guerillas who supposedly killed mayor Aldaba. 
"Because they can't produce the assailants, the 
military vents its frustrations against innocent peasants 
and charge them with the killing. Accusing a well-known 
leader like Aparato of an insurgency-related incident 
bears the hallmarks of Oplan Makabayan which treats all 
opposition parties as enemies of the state," he said.

"The real intent of the military actions is to suppress 
widespread popular discontent from the operations of 
the Mendex mining firm, which is wreaking damage to 
27,000 hectares of upland farms," Marcellana added. # 

---
Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)
Peasant Movement of the Philippines
URL: http://www.geocities.com/kmp_ph

Subscribe to the KMP mailing list to keep you 
informed of the latest campaigns in support of 
land struggles in the Philippines. Just send a 
blank email to kmp-subscribe at topica.com
Tell your friends about it!

Reactions: kmp at quickweb.com.ph
Subscribe: kmp-subscribe at topica.com
Unsubscribe: kmp-unsubscribe at topica.com