MILITANT peasants of Misamis Oriental braved the scorching heat of the sun Saturday as they marched towards Magsaysay Park and staged a theatrical show to dramatize their protest against House Resolution 1109.

The local peasants were members of the militant Misamis Oriental Farmers Association-Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (Mofa-KMP), the organization once led by Dalmacio "Tatay Dake" Gandinao, who was assassinated some two years ago.

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Richard Colao, deputy secretary general of KMP-Northern Mindanao, branded the administration of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as the "Villa Estrella" of the Filipino people as he cited the horror flick about a cursed mansion wherein various lives of people are trapped within.

"The Filipino people are like the characters in the movie where they are trapped in a place filled with horrifying events that they are doomed to die and no chance to escape," Colao said in an interview with Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro.

He said the country is trapped with a president and a regime that is full of horrifying and scary policies meant only to kill the vast majority of the farmers and the marginalized populace.

Colao said Arroyo is clearly behind the Congress move to amend the Constitution through the making of HR 1109, convening both chambers of Congress for a Constituent Assembly to amend the Charter.

Colao said that one of the Constitution's planned amendments is the provision allowing 100 percent ownership of lands by foreign individuals and companies, which the KMP official said would only drain the farmers even more.

The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law (Carl), which supposedly would address the problem on landlessness is a big failure and with this new provision (allowing 100 percent foreign land ownership), farmers would further be thrown out of their lands, he said.

"Wala may gipakita nga kaayohan kini nga administrasyon para sa tinuod nga interes sa mga mag-uuma, mao nga samot pang bakak nga kining Con-Ass para ni sa interes sa katawhan ug sa mag-uuma," Colao said.

Hundreds of farmers in Misamis Oriental were displaced by the massive land and crop conversions, which is part of the policy of Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (Carp), including those affected recently by the clearing operations of Phividec for the construction of the Hanjin shipyard in Villanueva town.

Such also include Cloa (Certificate of Land Ownership Award) holders in Gingoog City and also in Villanueva town, whose papers were confiscated due to several onerous reasons.

On Saturday noon, the peasants -- in a political skit -- depicted the lies and deceptions the present administration has peddled the Filipino people, including the unhampered killings of militant farmers who oppose the anti-farmer and anti-people policies of the government.

"Mao nga sakto gyud ning ‘Villa Estrella’ nga isama sa kahimtang sa katawhang mag-uuma ug Pilipino nga nakigbisog aron mabuhi nga tawhanon, apan tungod sa makalilisang nga mga palisiya ni Arroyo sama sa Oplan Bantay Laya 2, gipangpatay, gipang-harass ug gipanghadlok na hinuon ang katawhan. Horror gyud ni nga administrasyon," Colao said.

Colao was quick to add that this is not yet the total doom of the farmers in their struggle for genuine land reform.

On July 27, the militant farmers groups will join other sectors in the province and the region for a nationwide protest in time for the President's last State of the Nation Address (Sona) before she steps down in 2010.

"Yesterday's protest-cum-drama show is the 'front act' for the Sona. Several more protest activities will be staged in the coming days," Colao said.

KMP, together with its allied organizations Pamalakaya, Amihan, Kalumbay and Mofa, has also rated the presidency with a flunking grade or a "zero" rate for her general weighted average (GWA) for the last 9 years since she came into power.