“We have seen a preview of the worst things to come. We know what to do – we fight and defend our rights, now and always,” KMP said in a statement yesterday.
Newly elected KMP chairman Danilo Ramos said “things are taking a turn for the worse under Duterte.”
“His first year was marked with unfulfilled promises, promotion of neoliberal policies and militarism. His declaration of Martial Law in Mindanao is enough reason for people to mobilize and protest his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 24,” he said.
Ramos said “we will make Pres. Duterte accountable for his unfulfilled promises. We will continue to assert genuine land reform, free land distribution and the lifting of Martial Law. We will continue to defend our democratic rights in the face of Duterte’s all-out war.”
“Instead of seriously addressing the People’s Agenda that was presented to his administration last year, Duterte allowed his economic managers to come up with ‘Dutertenomics’ that essentially perpetuates pro-foreign and pro-business neoliberal policies.,” he said.
Ramos also noted that “the people’s clamor for genuine land reform and national industrialization fell on deaf ears.”
He also lamented that “the peace negotiations that are supposed to come up with a Comprehensive Agreement on Social and Economic Reforms (CASER) were stalled and not gaining any headway due to the GRP’s dogged determination to force a ceasefire and lack of sincerity in the peace process.”
“The GRP should do its task and cooperate with the NDFP in accelerating the peace talks and the CASER. But it seems that what the GRP have accomplished so far is to delay talks and disagree with many of the pro-people proposals forwarded by the NDFP,” he said.
“Although the GRP peace panel agreed in principle to free land distribution, farmers know that we can only realize this through our struggle and assertion. Dismantling land monopoly is the first key step in achieving genuine land reform and rural development,” Ramos added.
