North Cotabato governor slams politicians planning to donate rice to Kidapawan farmers

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines- A video of North Cotabato governor Emmylou "Lala" Taliño Mendoza warning politicians planning to donate rice to drought-hit Kidapawan City farmers is making rounds on social media.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaXb3uH2vIM531NwxBFapwX31_YqyXjbLu5VpNTEJEucSF2GLudjEUswvsbyOPEHFAozgYi_6f-PocSnyfCJeYVz4LkuC2DOTpSKIi78T1iaPSAhBAzV2IEvwFVd9mDD-EqgiiZTVfTLI/s1600/kidapawan-north-cotabato-governor.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="North Cotabato governor slams politicians planning to donate rice to Kidapawan farmers" border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaXb3uH2vIM531NwxBFapwX31_YqyXjbLu5VpNTEJEucSF2GLudjEUswvsbyOPEHFAozgYi_6f-PocSnyfCJeYVz4LkuC2DOTpSKIi78T1iaPSAhBAzV2IEvwFVd9mDD-EqgiiZTVfTLI/s640/kidapawan-north-cotabato-governor.jpg" title="North Cotabato governor slams politicians planning to donate rice to Kidapawan farmers" width="560" /></a></div><br />In the short video clip, Mendoza was heard telling the media: "Bigla kayong darating, magbibigay ng bigas? Nang-i-insulto ba kayo o namumulitiko kayo?”<br /><br />(You’ll suddenly arrive to give rice. Is that an insult or are you politicking?)<br /><br />Mendoza also cautioned politicians not to use North Cotabato as their staging ground for propaganda in order to get support from the international community and collect money.<br /><br />Watch the video.<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LsYeSi847Fg" width="560"></iframe></center><br />According to reports, Mendoza was pertaining to the camp of presidential aspirant and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte who have gathered 30 sacks of rice for the hungry farmers of Kidapawan City. <br /><br />However, Duterte Presidential Campaign Team head Peter Laviña clarified that Duterte advised them not to meddle with the ongoing problem in Cotabato. He also alleged Mendoza of not performing her duties. <br /><br />"We do not have intentions to interfere with the trouble there but there is a problem, people are getting harassed so we have to help,” Laviña said.<br /><br />About 5,000 farmers coming from different parts of North Cotabato province held a protest on Wednesday, March 30 to demand government assistance after their farms were hit by the El Niño. Portions of the Cotabato-Davao Highway were blocked during the protest.<br /><br />But instead of getting calamity fund and rice provision, the protest turned into a violent dispersal between policemen and the farmers. The clash resulted into the death of three protesters while 116 others were injured. A farmer reportedly died on the spot during the encounter.<br /><br />According to Apo Sandawa Lumadnong Panaghiusa sa Cotabato leader Norma Capuyan, the police, who were trying to protect the National Food Authority provincial office from the protesters, were trying to disperse them using water cannons. However, when the farmers stood their ground, the police began firing.<br /><br />In an interview with ANC, Mendoza insisted that the police officers had exercised maximum tolerance during the protests.<br /><br />Meanwhile, actor and known Duterte supporter Robin Padilla donated 200 sacks of rice to the farmers. Expressing his disgust over the incident, wrote on the caption of his Instagram post: "Ang mga magsasaka ng Inangbayan Pilipinas pinagbabaril sa kanilang mapayapang paghingi ng tulong sa kanilang gobyerno.”<br /><br />(The farmers of our motherland Philippines were shot during their peaceful protest to the government.) <b>-Mini, The Summit Express</b></div>

North Cotabato governor slams politicians planning to donate rice to Kidapawan farmers

MANILA, Philippines- A video of North Cotabato governor Emmylou "Lala" Taliño Mendoza warning politicians planning to donate rice...

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Kidapawan Massacre: A sequel to Yolanda?

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">MANILA, Philippines - A multi-sectoral coalition denounced President Aquino and heads of concerned cabinet departments and agencies not only their failure to address the issues raised by peasants and Lumads but also for the violent dispersal in Kidapawan City last Thursday.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06f25J2WlvDZDSbV9GSkZqMgeRZXy67JgKBVwegEjI_eQduoGqD425QT8QRekDQ0dfqdiTFrxJnoxLMkCCS7LHJTPjji1H7V6Nqcy2pFP5aBo-qkDV1WJ6dCzkPYI2ONylYIFU3I1uSai/s1600/kidapawan-dispersal.jpg" imageanchor="1" rel="nofollow" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi06f25J2WlvDZDSbV9GSkZqMgeRZXy67JgKBVwegEjI_eQduoGqD425QT8QRekDQ0dfqdiTFrxJnoxLMkCCS7LHJTPjji1H7V6Nqcy2pFP5aBo-qkDV1WJ6dCzkPYI2ONylYIFU3I1uSai/s640/kidapawan-dispersal.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The result of violent dispersal vs. law enforcement in Kidapawan. <br />Photo Credit: Kidapawan City Government Facebook page</td></tr></tbody></table>The police dispersal claimed three lives so far from the ranks of the farmers and dozens more injured and unaccounted for by their families after protesting the lack of government support in face of the impacts of the El Nino phenomenon.<br /><br /><center><div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/kidapawancityncot/posts/1709528435956446" data-width="500"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/kidapawancityncot/posts/1709528435956446">Violent Dispersal vs. Law enforcementNaging madugo ang nangyaring dispersal ng mga pulis laban sa mga raliyesta matapos...<br />Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kidapawancityncot/" rel="nofollow">Kidapawan City</a> on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kidapawancityncot/posts/1709528435956446" rel="nofollow">Thursday, March 31, 2016</a></blockquote></div></div></center><br />Sanlakas said in an e-mailed statement that the much-delayed statements of condemnation from Malacanang spokespersons and it Liberal Party bets and pledges of sanctions for those accountable on the ground is “rubbing salt into the wounds inflicted on the hapless bodies of the starving farmers”.<br /><br />“The President and national government officials are washing their hands and pinning the blame on the local government. It is the responsibility of government at all levels – but the national government especially - to address the impacts of El Nino and the state of climate-induced calamity. ” said Lidy Nacpil, Sanlakas chairperson.<br /><br />The group deplored the inadequate preparations made by the government despite the fact that the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) had foreseen its impacts as early as March 2015.<br /><br />“The incompetence, insensitivity and gross neglect of responsibility on the part of the Aquino administration is condemnable,” Nacpil said.<br /><br />Meanwhile Roldan Gonzales, chair of Sanlakas Mindanao called on the government to declare all 68 provinces affected by El Nino in a “state of calamity” to avert any more violence that may ensue between starving farmers and security forces.<br /><br /><center><div id="fb-root"></div><script>(function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = "//connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&version=v2.3"; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);}(document, 'script', 'facebook-jssdk'));</script><div class="fb-video" data-allowfullscreen="1" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/kidapawancityncot/videos/1709669575942332/"><div class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore"><blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/kidapawancityncot/videos/1709669575942332/"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/kidapawancityncot/videos/1709669575942332/" rel="nofollow"></a><br />RALLYISTA VS KAPULISAN(c) LykFM Teleradyo<br />Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/kidapawancityncot/" rel="nofollow">Kidapawan City</a> on Friday, April 1, 2016</blockquote></div></div></center><br />He asserted that the government should not wait for the El Nino impacts to be fully felt before declaring a ‘state of calamity.’ “The government has to cushion impacts by ordering a price freeze on basic commodities, expedite the release of financial aid, provide immediate employment, and ensure proper management of water resources among others”.<br /><br />As of January 2016, PAGASA studies established that El Niño phenomenon will likely cause meteorological drought to as much as 85 percent of the Philippines by April this year, affecting 68 provinces. Of the 68 provinces, Mindanao will suffer the most with 22 provinces to experience drought up to June or July 2016<br /><br />“The protests in Kidapawan will soon spread to other places in Mindanao. Our members in Mindanao are talking about hunger and worsening water crisis in Bukidnon, the Lanao and Davao provinces,” he warned.<br /><br />Roldan, who also is an active leader in the campaign for climate justice and in the struggles of Mindanao communities against the impacts of mining, says that the water crisis is the combined impacts of El Nino as well as massive mining activities in Mindanao.<br /><br />He also cautioned against the use of social services by state relief agencies to promote administration candidates.<br /><br />“The farmers maybe hungry and desperate but they are wise enough to distinguish public service from political patronage, the Ozamis City native said.</div>

Kidapawan Massacre: A sequel to Yolanda?

MANILA, Philippines - A multi-sectoral coalition denounced President Aquino and heads of concerned cabinet departments and agencies not only...

Read more »