FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 21, 2009
Philippine Peasant Support Network (Pesante)-USA
Contact: Arturo P. Garcia
(213) 241-0995

PESANTE –USA COMMEMORATES THE 22nd Year of MENDIOLA MASSACRE, Jan 22, 1987

Los Angeles-- On Thursday, January 22nd, Gabnet of the Mariposa Alliance will co-host an educational forum with PESANTE and the Alliance for Just and Lasting Peace in the Philippines (AJLPP) in Los Angeles. The groups will meet to commemorate the 22nd Year of the January 22,1987 Mendiola Massacre, where 15,000 peasants peacefully rallying for genuine land reform from the newly installed US-Aquino Regime were ruthlessly fired upon by the police and the Philippine Marines. Thirteen protesters were killed and over 150 others were wounded.

The AFP was after the NDF negotiating panel who were in Manila in 1987 during the 60 day ceasefire. Unable to liquidate their targets they pounced on the defend less peasants in Mendiola that day.

Today, the peace talks in shambles. There is war in Mindanao against our Moro brothers and sister. More than 600,000 people are refugees. All responsible fascist who planned the massacre were promoted and one even became the President of the Philippines.

Thus, Pesante, Gabnet and AJ LPP recognizes the need to commemorate this tragedy, as well as the need to discuss the ongoing impact of the lack of genuine land reform.

Today, due to the Philippine commitment to the World Trade Organization and the International Monetary Fund, there are over 11.2 million peasants in the Philippines, 8 million of them being women.

Jan 22 in History

It is worth mentioning that the 1st Mendiola Massacre occurred during the First Quarter Storm of 1970 in the fighting between the demonstrators and the Marcos military in January 30-31, 1970. It was also on Jan. 22, 2001 when the people overthrew President Joseph Estrada during EDSA 2.

Another event was the St. Petersburg massacre in Jan 22, 1905, that caused the Ist Russian Revolution of 1905 against the Czar of Russia. Later in Oct, 1917, the russian Socialist revolution triumphed.

Gabnet Los Angeles and Pesante-USA invites all social-justice seekers to join the educational forum to share their own thoughts and listen as others uncover the root causes of the Mendiola Massacre and the ongoing struggles of the peasants in the Philippines.

Event information:
"Remembering Mendiola"
Thursday, January 22nd
6:30pm
@ Filipino American Community of LA (FACLA)
1740 W. Temple