FARMERS challenged President Benigno Aquino III, his spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, and social welfare secretary Dinky Soliman to eat only the soup of boiled stones for three months just like what is being suffered by survivors of typhoon ‘Pablo.’
The Kilusang Magbubukid sa Pilipinas issued the statement after Lacierda and Soliman said they will press legal charges against the victims of typhoon Pablo who joined the protest at the DSWD compound in Davao City. At the same time, Soliman also said that the protesters are not legitimate victims of typhoon Pablo.
“We challenge President Aquino, Lacierda and Soliman to eat boiled stones from the rivers of Taytayan and Sarmiento lines in New Bataan for three months for them to feel the extreme hunger suffered by farmers of Compostela and Davao Del Norte provinces,” says KMP spokesperson Antonio Flores.
“Soliman’s statement questioning the legitimacy of the farmers is nothing but a cheap shot. It’s in chorus with the military saying the protesters are not victims of typhoon Pablo,” Flores added.
The KMP leader said that it is already exposed that tens of thousands of sacks of rice and food are inside the DSWD warehouse in Davao City.
“What is the DSWD waiting for before it distributes the relief goods? Are they waiting for the food to rot or for another calamity to occur? Or, are they waiting for Team PNoy to do the distribution?” Flores asked.
Flores, who hails from Southern Mindanao, said “typhoon Pablo totally devastated farmlands and the livelihood of farmers in Davao Del Norte and Compostela Valley and up to now, despite the deluge of international support to the victims, the Aquino government is totally inutile in helping the survivors get their lives back.”
Flores also assailed Soliman and Lacierda’s threat to file legal charges against ‘Pablo’ victims saying “the Aquino government’s move smacks of callousness and arrogance of the highest order.”
“The farmers of Southern Mindanao were victimized twice. First, by the calamity, and second, by the insensitive Aquino government and its fascist police forces,” says Flores referring to the violent dispersal of the protest yesterday.
The KMP leader called on farmers nationwide to condemn Soliman and Lacierda’s arrogance and launch protest actions in DSWD offices in their respective regions.
“We call on KMP chapters nationwide to condemn Soliman and Lacierda’s arrogance, issue condemnation statement and launch protest actions in front of DSWD offices in support of the victims of typhoon Pablo,” the peasant leader said.