Statement of Teatro Obrero, cultural arm of National Federation of Sugar Workers in Northern Negros
Peasant cultural group Teatro Obrero strongly condemns the one-time, big time demonic strike of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), assisted by the number one criminal in Negros Oriental, the Philippine National Police (PNP). The March 30 killings in the island of Negros took away the lives of 14 farmers in less than a day.
The series of killings in Negros Island is consequent to Duterte’s declaration of Memorandum Order No. 32 or “de facto martial law” that affects the lives and livelihood of many people, especially farmers and farmworkers. The Synchronized Enhanced Managing of Police Operations (SEMPO) implementation or the one-time, big time attack of the AFP, PNP and other government troops against the people caused severe militarization in the peasant communities in the island of Negros.
Like what happened last year when 9 farmers were massacred in Sagay City on October 20, 2018. Then, the killings of 6 farmers in Guihulngan City on December 27, 2018 which were both perpetrated by state forces. These resulted in the forcible evacuation of many farmers, synchronized with arrests and filing of trumped-up charges.
The demonic demeanor of the fascist AFP and PNP troops are also experienced in peasant communities of North Negros. Successive human rights violations have intensified in numerous barangays in the cities of Escalante, Sagay and San Carlso and towns of Toboso, Calatrava and Don Salvador Benedicto in the past months and even at present.
At present, the continued attacks by the merciless and heartless AFP, PNP-SAF, supported by their unreliable, money-making intelligence reports, must be confronted with the massive mobilization of the youth and the people to expose the rotten system that supports the big landlords, capitalists and foreign investors, and to stop the countless attacks that kill farmers and farmworkers.
Teatro Obrero calls on the youth, farmers and students alike, to take a stand with the farmers and the people against human rights violations and various attacks brought about by de facto martial law of the US-Duterte regime. Integrate with the basic sectors, especially the farmers, to obtain the truth amidst the enormous fake news flooding the internet and mass media.
Teatro Obrero calls on the state forces, including of course the patriotic and sincere members of the army and local police, to fullfill their duty “to serve and protect” the Filipino people and not to harm and kill farmers and farmworkers. The youth and the people are not ignorant of your doings and can evaluate reality from fake or made-up stories.
#JusticeforNegros14
