FARMERS, FISHERMEN, OTHERS WANT ARROYO OUT - Oread Daily

Protesters carrying effigies of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,

US President Bush, former Philippines Agriculture Secretary Luisito

Lorenzo and Interior Secretary Angelo Reyes blocked Quezon Avenue in

Manila, causing a traffic jam Thursday afternoon. Police prevented

the marchers from proceeding to the presidential palace.

The group, composed mostly of farmers, has been holding a picket in

front of the agriculture department office in Quezon City since

Monday, to protest the government's policy on agriculture, which

they said caused "unfair competition with foreign products." "Hunger

is spreading like wildfire. There is massive corruption in all

agencies of the government and genuine land reform has not been

implemented," said Danilo Ramos of the Kilusang Magbubukid ng

Pilipinas. Ramos said farmers are losing their land due to the

rampant land-use conversion projects, which are supported by the

government.

Fernando Hicap of Pamalakaya, an organization of fishermen, also

urged the National Food Authority to subsidize prices instead of

importing rice from other countries. He said local fishermen are

also affected by the entry of foreign commercial fishing companies.

The protesters said the state of the country's agriculture sector

mirrors the state of the country's food situation. They warned of a

food crisis if the government will not resolve the problems they

raised.

Manila was not the only site of protests. In Quezon City, Hacienda

Luisita farmers picketed the house of ex-president Cory Aquino whose

family owns the hacienda in Tarlac. Cebu City, Davao City,

Tagbilaran City, Cotobato City, Iloilo City were among other cities

where protests occurred.

Yesterday militant groups led by the Pambansang Lakas ng

Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) launched the "Manila

Declaration," which aims to gather one million signatures nationwide

for Arroyo's ouster. Pamalakaya spokesman Gerry Albert-Corpuz said

they wanted to show the Arroyo administration that the people could

no longer bear the "landlessness, hunger, and poverty," especially

in the rural communities. Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap

said "Let's call a spade a spade. President Arroyo aside from

betraying the rural people's fight against landlessness, hunger and

poverty is politically corrupt, grossly immoral and graphically

repressive. It is about time to deliver the strongest message to her

administration." The groups plan to have one million signatures on

the Declaration by the end of the year or early in 2005.

Arroyo Press Secretary Ignacio Bunye dismissed the initiative as the

work of groups with "agenda." Speaking of the President he

said, "She has the support of the police, the military, and the

civilian government." Sources: INQ7, ABS-CBN, IMC/Philippines,

Philippine Daily Inquirer Sun Star (Philippines)

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