Several militant groups in Negros Oriental staged a march rally around Dumaguete City recently, objecting to the One Negros Island Region initiative, and branding the proposal “anti-poor”.

The groups belonging to the Banika-Amihan, Kaugmaon KMP, Anakbayan-Negros Oriental, and Bayan Negros Oriental also called the proposal anathema to human rights.

During the rally, placards displayed alleged that the one Negros proposal is in line with the public-private partnership program of President Benigno Aquino, resulting in the implementation of the Negros First Agenda that contributed to the rising incidents of land grabbing, militarization, illegal mining and environmental degradation.

The groups also called for the ouster of Aquino, and lambasted him for mishandling the bloody Mamasapano clash in Maguindanao that resulted in the death of 44 members of the PNP-Special Action Force, 18 Muslim rebels, and eight civilians.*RG

back to top