AN ORGANIZATION of women's rights advocates has asked for the release of some 83 farmers in Tinang, Concepcion in Tarlac province who are presently detained at the local police station.
The Amihan National Federation of Peasant Women issued the call as the country celebrated its 124th Independence Day Sunday, June 12, 2022.
The group called for the immediate release of the farmers and supporters currently held in the Philippine National Police (PNP) station in Concepcion, Tarlac.
“There is no genuine freedom until Filipino farmers, the largest sector of our society, suffer from various forms of exploitation and oppression. Tuloy-tuloy kaming mananawagan at maggigiit ng aming mga karapatan kasama ang iba pang maralita at aping sektor ng bansa,” Amihan chair Zenaida Soriano said.
Amihan members vowed to continue fighting for genuine independence and for civil and political rights amid alleged attacks against peasant women and farming communities.
“Araw ng Kalayaan pero hindi ramdam ng mga magbubukid at kanilang mga pamilya ang kalayaan. Tumitindi ang pangangamkam ng lupa, pagpapalayas sa mga magsasaka, pananakot at pandarahas sa kanila,” Soriano said.
She said the mass arrest and harassment of farmers and advocates in Hacienda Tinang conducting a peaceful land preparation shows the kind of freedom the country has.
The organization said peasant women and communities have been targets of red-tagging, harassment, illegal arrest and detention, militarization, bombing and other forms of human rights abuses, especially in areas with land disputes and where farmer organizations are conducting collective farming.