Press Release | April 3, 2016
The Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) denounces statements made yesterday by Malacañang saying investigation of the violent dispersal of peasant demonstrators last Friday in Kidapawan City should focus on the presence of NPA members in the rally.
“Claims made by media handlers, defense and security officials of the Aquino regime that there were members of the New People’s Army (NPA) among the demonstrators is part of the idiotic coverup that seek to obscure the responsibility of armed police personnel over the killing of at least four demonstrators and the wounding of more than a hundred others,” said the CPP.
“The CPP declares that there were no armed NPA fighters among the Kidapawan City peasant demonstrators.”
Last Friday, the Aquino regime’s police personnel armed with M16 automatic rifles opened fire at peasant demonstrators as the protest action was violently dispersed. The peasants have been demonstrating since March 30 seeking the release of calamity funds and rice and food supplies amid the seven month drought that has hit large areas of North Cotabato and other Mindanao provinces.
“Aquino’s media managers are promoting the view that the demonstrators were provoked citing supposed reports about the ‘presence’ of mass-based organizations as Anakpawis, KMP and others, as if these organizations ‘infiltrated’ the demonstrations when in fact these groups were at the lead,” said the CPP.
“By insinuating the demonstrators were ‘provoked by the Left’, Aquino’s spinmeisters desperately want to downplay its failure to address the urgent demand for food and relief funds in the face of the drought calamity, as well as the long-standing clamor for genuine land reform amid relentless landgrabbing by expanding plantations,” added the CPP.
“It is the gnawing hunger and poverty and oppression of the peasant masses which has provoked them to rise up and march from the countryside in order to seek relief from their dire situation and express their indignation over the Aquino regime’s callous refusal to address the urgent and desperate needs,” said the CPP.
