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Filipino militant groups stormed the Department of Justice in Manila Wednesday and called for the immediate release of 71 farmers who were detained on April 1.
Charged with economic sabotage, harassment, obstructing traffic and illegal assembly, the detained farmers formed part of a group of 6,000 people that blocked a highway near Kidapawacan City to demand 15,000 sacks of rice, free vegetable seedlings and financial subsidies from the government.
RELATED: Protests Intensify Against Police Killing of Hungry Filipinos
A months-long drought has resulted in a food crisis which the Filipino government has failed to resolve.
Members of "Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Bagong Alyansang Makabayan" (Bayan) militant groups have questioned the motives for arresting the farmers.
“Each day that they spend in jail is an injustice. They were arrested without any warrant. They were charged with direct assault and blamed for the violence that the police inflicted on protesting farmers,” said Renato Reyes Jr., Bayan secretary general.
The Bayan is an alliance of militant organizations founded on International Workers' Day of May 1, 1985, as members of the opposition to the Marcos dictatorship. Today, the group is comprised of over 1000 different organizations and represents a million people, including Marxist-Leninist and Maoist groups.
According to Reyes, three pregnant women, senior citizens and several minors were among those arrested. “They came to Kidapawan to ask for rice. Now they are being made to pay for their bail. They don’t even have money for food,” he argued.
Farmers violently dispersed in Kidapawan | Youtube / KyleIsAwesome
Reyes claims many of the farmers were deceived by the police the day they were arrested.
“They were promised a ride back to their communities and were even given food. It was only later that they were brought to a gym and a school where they were placed under arrest,” he explained.
Government prosecutors initially recommended P12,000 (US$260) bail for each farmer, but lowered the amount by half after a hearing yesterday.
“We call on the people to continue to stand with the farmers of North Cotabato. Let us press for the immediate and unconditional release of all detained farmers and the dropping of the trumped-up charges against them,” he appealed.
The minors have since been released. Some of the people arrested are hospitalized for various injuries including gunshot wounds.
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