Hacienda Luisita

By now, the world has known what happened to the Hacienda Luisita farm workers.

Last weekend (20-21 November) i joined other members of the Samahan ng mga Nagtataguyod ng Agham at Teknolohiya para sa Sambayanan on their visit to the Hacienda. On the 21st, 2 farmers who died on the 16 November massacre were given a heroes burial.

We left Quezon City past 6pm. Since we don't have enough money to pay for the fare (~P250) to Tarlac, we hitched a ride from the workers of Cavite. Later on, i would know that most of them were from Bicol and was on Cavite due to work assignments. So i felt at home during the whole trip. After a long time, i was speaking again the Catandunganon's Bikolano dialect.

We arrived at the Hacienda at almost 10pm. I traveled with only P70 in my pocket. When some members offered their excess food for dinner, nde na ako nag-atubili.

The audience of the program held were still furious. Personally, the militarist side of me started to get over my head. I wanted to have a gun and do a Rambo heroics.

Five coffins were in front the program's venue. It was a tribute to their heroism and contribution to the struggle of fellow farm workers in the Hacienda. One massacre victim, about two years younger than me was killed by the military and the police like a pig in the slaughterhouse. He was first shot on his two legs. When the military and police elements catched up with him, he was hanged on the barb wire fences, like laundry dried on the clothesline. Not contented, the militaty and police then shot him on the body. there were pictures on the coffin and it was enough to burn me in anger.

There will be no justification on the massacre of the Hacienda Luisita farmers. The government of GMA has the most responsibility. Instead of protecting the poor farmers she sided with the wealthy Cojuangco's and Aquino's. But then what we would expect. "Birds of same feather, flock together."

The Military and Police are pointing to the NPA as the first to fire at them and it was the signal for them to fire at the more than a thousand farmers. The spokesperson of the NPA denies such allegations. Of course, we have known the military and police for framing up others on things they did.

"Maraming hukbo ang iluluwal ng pangyayaring ito," echoed by one of the audience. Tiningnan ko siya. Ako'y tumango.

for pictures of the massacre, visit www.geocities.com/arkibongbayan.