Reference: Elaine Teope, (PAKISAMA) 09196190466, 4342079, Joey Dimaandal 09179336186
“Panalo na tayo.” (We have won.)
Those were the last text message sent by Ka Renato, Penas, Vice President of the Pambansang Kilusan ng mga Samahang Magsasaka (PAKISAMA) to his family, friends, fellow farmer-activists when he heard the news that the House of Representatives has passed the bill extending the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program or CARPER. Those were jubilant words from a man who, together with his fellow farmers in Sumilao, had endured various difficulties for decades in his struggle for a genuine land reform program in his community and in this country. When we received that text message from Ka Rene, we were ecstatic albeit cautious because we knew that our fight for genuine land reform does not end there.
However, we are deeply saddened and outraged when we learned that Ka Rene was gunned down last Friday night (June 6) by unidentified assassins on his way home to Sumilao, Bukidon. Initial reports say that Ka Rene sustained 11 gunshot wounds on his body. This unspeakable horror merits justice. We condemn this brutality in the strongest terms.
We feel the anguish and deep sense of loss being felt by his family over this tragic incident. Ka Rene will always be remembered for his leadership and guidance especially during the 1700- km Sumilao and 444-km Banasi farmer marches in 2007 and 2008. He will be missed by his fellow activists and the various agrarian reform communities he helped.
This cowardly and barbaric act clearly shows that the human rights crisis in this country continues. Ka Rene’s murder is now part of a long list of violent acts directed against agrarian reform advocates such as those of Ka Eleazar Billones and Ka Vic Paglinawan (PAKISAMA’s Vice President for Mindanao) who was shot dead by two motor-cycle riding men in Malabog, Davao City in November 2008.
This treacherous act on Ka Rene and the other martyrs of agrarian reform should never go unpunished. We hold Malacanang accountable for this ongoing violent campaign against farmer-leaders and other human rights activists. We strongly challenge this administration to immediately conduct a thorough and high level of investigation to be led by the Commission on Human Rights. However, investigation is not enough. We want the government to give us an assurance that the perpetrators will be caught and hauled into court. Instead of wasting the taxpayers money on her campaign to extend her term in office via CON-ASS, Gloria Macapagal Arroyo should focus her energy in showing the Filipino people that her administration is not killing innocent civilians and activists. We want her to prioritize the resolution of this murder and other extra-judicial killings in the country.
We hope that Ka Rene’s death will not go unnoticed. We wish that his martyrdom will spark enough outrage among the Filipino people and provide courage to us whom he had left behind so we can continue his struggle for agrarian reform justice in the Philippines.
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