Militants hail Duterte’s peace, social justice programs
CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY – Unlike his predecessors, President Duterte amassed praises yesterday from militant groups on his first 100 days in office.
In Cagayan de Oro, thousands of farmers and tribal people held a march- rally yesterday, not to lambast the administration, but to express support for the President, particularly on his “peace initiatives, national sovereignty and social justice programs.”
The Northern Mindanao chapter of militant group Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan), the Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and indigenous group Kalumbay spearheaded the Cagayan de Oro mass action.
In Manila, about as many rallyists thronged to the US embassy also yesterday to laud the Duterte government’s “propeople” programs in its first 100 days and at the same time call for American forces’ complete pullout from the Philippines.
At the same time, migrant group Migrante International gave Duterte a satisfactory grade of 84 percent for his “notable achievements on national and people’s issues.”
It was the highest score the group has ever given to a president in the first 100 days in office, said Migrante acting secretary general Mic Catuira.
Leaders of the march-rally in Mindanao cited Duterte’s assertion of national sovereignty, independent foreign policy countering American intervention and the renewed peace talks with left-leaning National Democratic Front of the Philippines as the President’s top achievements so far.
They also lauded the appointments of their progressive allies to Cabinet posts, such as in the Departments of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Labor and Agrarian Reform, National Anti-Poverty Commission and the Presidential Commission on Urban Poor.
The militant groups also welcomed the distribution of 358 hectares of land at Hacienda Luisita and a nationwide freeze in land conversion as ordered by the Presidential Agrarian Reform Commission, as well as the suspension of companies engaged in destructive mining operations.
They also praised DWSD’s memorandum circular that upheld the Supreme Court’s ruling against pork barrel funds for congressmen, giving DSWD the final say in determining the kind of assistance to be given to requests endorsed by lawmakers.
The south- based militant groups added they would join in the celebration of National Peasants Month and the sendoff of 300 tribal and Moro leaders from Northern Mindanao, who will embark on a one-month trek to Malacañang in Manila to call attention to their plight as “marginalized and oppressed” sectors.
Dubbing the trek as “Lakbayan ng Pambansang Minorya para sa Sariling Pagpapasya at Makatarungang Kapayapaan,” they said the trekkers would travel to Manila from Oct. 13 to 28.
Kalumbay regional chairman Datu Jomorito Goaynon called on the Duterte government to “put an end to the militarization and plunder of (their) lands and territories.”
In a statement, Goaynon expressed support for the government’s “positive actions” toward upholding the rights of national minorities, calling for the ouster of US troops and installations in the country and the pursuit of talks with the NDF and the Moro revolutionary groups.
End EDCA
In Manila, leftist groups Bayan and Kilusang Mayo Uno also called for US forces’ pullout from the Philippines in a rally in front of the US embassy.
Carrying placards that said “US troops out now!” and “Fight for national sovereignty,” the demonstrators were mostly farmers and contractual workers.
In a statement, KMU called on President Duterte to issue an executive order to terminate the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which “has allowed the US to reoccupy the Philippines by increasing troop development and establishment of their permanent bases in the country.”