Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas
The Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women said that as a reprisal against the determined struggle of the peasant women for land rights and food sovereignty, the Philippine government treated the sector as a target for its systematic repression. Peasant women activists and leaders across the country are usual targets of gender-based and human rights abuses, harassment and red-tagging, filing of trumped-up charges, extrajudicial killings, illegal arrest and detention, forced surrenders, and other forms of violations. Amid these state terror tactics, the peasant women continue to demand justice for all the victims of rights abuses and accountability of perpetrators.
Amihan, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas, and Tanggol Magsasaka were among the civil society groups who attended the dialogue with United Nations Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Opinion and Expression Irene Khan held at the UN House in Manila on January 23. The meeting tackled national laws and policies and their implementation affecting freedom of expression and opinion.
Amihan submitted a position paper highlighting the rising cases of rights abuses against peasant women and their families perpetrated by the state forces and sought the support of the special rapporteur.
Among the cases presented by Amihan include:
· The killing of 46 peasant women, 14 minors, and 10 peasant couples under the Duterte administration and 5 minors and the Fausto Family Massacre under the Marcos Jr. regime;
· At least 80 peasant women political prisoners, the majority of which, 60 were under the Duterte administration, including cases of death while in prison and dire need of medical attention;
· Red-tagging and Freeze orders of Amihan’s Bank accounts;
· Red-tagging and blocking of Amihan’s website;
· Harassment and red-tagging of Amihan leaders and members including Leonisa Taray of Bohol; Julie Marcos, Emelia Ventula, Jacqueline Ratin of Cagayan, Cita Managuelod, Rowena Hidalgo, Nenita Apricio, and Gladys Ganado of Isabela, threats and harassment of state forces against Maggie Seva, Admin officer of Farmer’s Assistance for Resource Management, Education and Rehabilitation (FARMER Inc.) and National Council member of Amihan; and
· Militarization and bombings of peasant communities.
The group added that peasant women have increasingly become targets of human rights abuses through the government’s counter-insurgency policies and programs including Martial Law in Mindanao, Memorandum Order 32 in Negros, Samar, and Bicol, Executive Order 70 or the whole-of-nation approach which created the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF ELCAC), and the recently enacted Anti-Terror Law.
KMP, AMIHAN and Tanggol Magsasaka recommended to the Special Rapporteur the following:
1. Recommend to the Government of the Republic of the Philippines to immediately stop the harassment and surveillance against Danilo Ramos, peasant advocates and farmers who feed the nation;
2. Recommend to the Government of the Republic of the Philippines to stop the ominous red-tagging and terror tagging of farmers and activists, and the widespread vilification campaign against leaders, and members of legitimate and progressive organizations; and
3. Recommend to the Government of the Republic of the Philippines to repeal the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 and to abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
The group said that these systematic attacks by state forces against peasant women and their families should be exposed, and investigated and the perpetrators be held accountable. We are joining the #FightToExpress campaign as part of our assertion of our freedom of expression and opinion. ###
