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Philippines: Killings of peasants as a consequence of their rightful claim for land in Batuan, Masbate Province

Beginning of Action: 20/11/2008 - End of Action: 16/01/2009

René Llabres and Junrie Pagaspas are the latest victims of killings related to the non-implementation of agrarian reform in the Philippines. On July 6th, the two young farmers were killed by unidentified armed men . The killings mark the peaks in a phase of violence against the peasant organisation, Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Hacienda Batuan (SAMAHABA), struggling for the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) on Hacienda Batuan.

The lives of the 40 peasants remaining on the Hacienda are at risk. The failure to implement the CARP and the pressure on them to leave the Hacienda violate their right to feed themselves. As such, the members of SAMAHABA must be aided by fast-tracking the implementation of the CARP. Please send a letter to the President, Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo and the Department of Agrarian reform (DAR), requesting them to protect the peasants and their access to the land.

Background

The Masbate Province is situated on the southern fringe of the Philippines´ northern islands group Luzon. The Municipality of Batuan in the Masbate district includes 5 nearby villages, namely Sawang, Burgos, Panisihan, Royroy and Gibraltar. Tenants grow rice and coconuts on one half of the Batuan farmland. Since 2004, the members of the SAMAHABA have struggled for the redistribution of the Hacienda Batuan, which would entitle tenants to own part of the farmland. Their tenancy has been based on “sharing” parts of their crops with the landlords (share-cropping): They have to hand over 75% of their crops. Thus, another key concern of SAMAHABA is to replace the current system with a legally mandated leasehold system, which leaves only 25% to the landlord.


By denying the fact that peasants have been working on the farmland and by claiming that the whole farmland was used as grazing land, the owners of the Hacienda Batuan, Rafael Resurrecion and Lydia Honasan, had pushed through a petition which exempted the Hacienda Batuan from the CARP in 2003. All legal remedies against this decision that have been used by the farmers have so far been futile. However, their legal action continues. Meanwhile the Hacienda manager along with unidentified armed men  and several goon squads have tried to drive the farmers off the land. Several cases of stolen property, harassments and other attacks on peasants, their leaders and their families have been recorded since 2005. The intimidations have culminated in beatings and even 3 killings. Only 6 months ago, Mark Anthony “Butchoy” Vale, a SAMAHABA leader, was also murdered.

Mandate of the Emergency Network

The Philippines is a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) as well as to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR). As such, it is obliged under international law to protect and fulfill the right to food of its population. The recent killings of peasants in Masbate stand in the context of a general wave of terror being aimed at peasant organisations in the Philippines. The Government of the Philippines should protect the lives of the peasants in Masbate and speedily implement the CARP.


Original Letter:

Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

President of the Republic of the Philippines

Malacanang Palace

JP Laurel Street, San Miguel

Manila 1005

PHILIPPINES

Fax: +63 (2) 736 1010



Dear Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo,


I would like to express my deep concern about the killings of two peasants on Hacienda Batuan, Masbate on July 6th, 2008. The victims, Mr. Rene Llabres and Mr. Junrie Papasgas, were two young, neighboring tenants on the Hacienda and both members of the local peasant organisation, Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Hacienda Batuan (SAMAHABA). One of the leaders of SAMAHABA, Mr. Mark Anthony Vale, was also assassinated on Dec. 22nd, 2007. The peasant organisation has lobbied for the inclusion of Hacienda Batuan into the CARP for long years as well as the implementation of the legally mandated leasehold system since 2005. As share croppers, they are only entitled to 25% of their produce. Under false pretensements concerning the utilisation of the farmland, the owners of the Hacienda Batuan have been successful in exempting the Hacienda from the CARP. The Batuan farmers have used their legal remedies to reverse this decision before the DAR since then. However, associates of the farm owners have frequently been identified as perpetrators in cases of harassment, diversions of property, beatings and abductions. In the meantime, more than half of the tenants have fled from the intimidations and left the farmland, leaving them without any possibility to feed themselves.

As State Party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR), the Philippines has the obligation to protect and fulfil the human right to adequate food of all of its population, including the peasants in Batuan, Masbate. The lives of the 40 remaining peasants on Hacienda Batuan are in danger and their right to food is also threatened. As a person working internationally for the implementation of the right to food, I would like to ask you, Your Excellency, to:

•    Guarantee the peasants’ access to the farmland and thereby their access to food; 
•    Order a close investigation of the killings of Rene Llabres and Junrien Papasgas;
•    Protect the other SAMAHABA members from further attacks;
•    Fast-track the implementation of the CARP on Hacienda Batuan and put through the  legally mandated leasehold system. .

Please inform me of any measures you intend to take on this case.

Sincerely yours,

Translated Letter:

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Mrs. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo

President of the Republic of the Philippines

Malacanang Palace

JP Laurel Street,

San Miguel

Manila 1005

PHILIPPINES

Fax: +63 (2) 736 1010


Honorable Sra. Macapagal-Arroyo,

Quiero expresar mi profunda preocupación por los asesinatos de dos campesinos en Hacienda
Batuán, Masbate, el 6 de Julio de 2008. Las víctimas, el Sr. Rene Llabres y el Sr. Junrie Papasgas, eran dos jóvenes tenedores de tierra vecinos de la Hacienda y eran ambos miembros de la organización campesina local, Samahan ng Magsasaka ng Hacienda Batuán (SAMAHABA). Uno de los líderes de SAMAHABA, el Sr. Mark Anthony Vale, fue también asesinado el 22 de Diciembre del 2007. La organización campesina ha ejercido presión durante muchos años para conseguir la inclusión de la Hacienda Batuán en el CARP y desde 2005 también por la implementación de un sistema de arrendamiento bajo mandato legal. Como arrendatarios, sólo tienen derecho a un 25% de sus productos. Bajo falsos pretextos en relación a la utilización de las tierras de labranza, los propietarios de Hacienda Batuán han conseguido eximir a la Hacienda del CARP. Los campesinos y las campesinas de Batuán han empleado desde entonces remedios jurídicos para revocar esta decisión ante el DAR. Sin embargo, se ha identificado con frecuencia a cómplices de los propietarios de la hacienda como autores en casos de hostigamientos, robos, palizas y secuestros. Entretanto, más de la mitad de los tenedores han huído a causa de las intimidaciones y han abandonado las tierras de labranza, cosa que les deja sin ninguna posibilidad de alimentarse.
 

Como Estado parte del Pacto Internacional de Derechos Económicos, Sociales y Culturales (PIDESC), Filipinas está obligado a cumplir y proteger el derecho humano a una alimentación adecuada de toda su población, incluyendo a los campesinos y campesinas en Batuán, Masbate.
La vida de los 40 campesinos que siguen en la Hacienda Batuán está en peligro y también su derecho a la alimentación está amenazado. Como persona que trabaja a nivel internacional por la implementación del derecho a la alimentación, le pido a su Excelencia que:

•    Se garantice el acceso de los campesinos a las tierras de labranza y de ese modo su acceso a los alimentos;
•    Se ordene una investigación a fondo de los asesinatos de Rene Llabres y Junrien Papasgas;
•    Se proteja a los demás miembros de SAMAHABA de otros ataques;
•    Se implemente por la vía rápida el CARP en Hacienda Batuán y se introduzca el sistema de arrendamiento bajo mandato legal.

Por favor infórmeme de cualquier medida que tenga la intención de tomar en este asunto.

Un cordial saludo,



Recipients:

Her Excellency Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo
President (corres@op.gov.ph)
Hon. Nasser C. Pangandaman
Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform (nasser@dar.gov.ph)