Senatorial candidates of the Koalisyong Makabayan held a town hall meeting with the Lupang Ramos farmers in Dasmariñas City, Cavite on October 2. They expressed their support for the farmers who face relentless harassment and intimidation aimed at driving them out of their land.

They were warmly welcomed by farmers from Lupang Ramos, Lupang Tartaria, and neighboring areas. Jerome Adonis, Jocelyn Andamo, Ronnel Arambulo, Arlene Brosas, Teddy Casiño, Mimi Doringo, Amirah Lidasan, and Danilo Ramos came to the meeting. The Makabayan candidates listened to farmers’ grievances regarding the ongoing militarization of their farms and communities, which included a series of attempted encampments, forcible entry, and red-tagging in Lupang Ramos.

“Agrarian reform should be a central issue in the upcoming national elections in 2025, because land is a basic right and equivalent to food security of every Filipino,” Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas leader Ramos said.

A hundred police and military elements under Task Force Ugnay of the 202nd IB, 2ID Philippine Army have recently attempted to forcibly enter the Lupang Ramos community. They even tried to disguise the attack as a “fire prevention inspection.” However, they failed to deceive the farmers and later admitted that their presence was in accordance with a Dasmarinas government resolution to “investigate” the Lupang Ramos as a “consolidation area for radicalization” by the Communist Party and the people’s army. The incident is the latest in a series of attacks by the military, police and local government against farmers and residents of Lupang Ramos.

“Concurrent with this incident is the series of attacks… on farms in Southern Tagalog,” according to the Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (Kasama-TK). “The Makabayan Coalition candidates witness and feel such difficulties because they come from heavily exploited and struggling classes.” This ensures that they will advance the interests of farmers in the Senate, according to the group.

Makabayan senators are campaigning on the platform of national democracy for immediate relief and national sovereignty.