Almost 15 years after then-pro bono lawyer Leni Robredo and her late husband joined their march to reclaim their ancestral land, the farmers of Sumilao in Bukidnon returned the favor on Wednesday, donning pink to support her presidential campaign.
In a symbolic march to the Panaw Sumilao Coop Center, the now-land owning farmers vouched for Robredo, who was a volunteer lawyer in 2007 when they fasted and trekked for two months from Bukidnon to Malacanang Palace in Manila.
Recalling the many feats they achieved since winning the fight, Bajekjek Orquillas, the youngest to join the Sumilao Walk for Land, said Robredo had always been "one of them".
"Bilang magsasaka ng Sumilao, mataba, sobrang taba ng puso ko sa tuwing dumadalaw si Ma’am dito sa atin, sa amin. Dahil hindi siya politiko para sa amin na mga magsasaka ng Sumilao. Noong una pa man kasama na namin siya, hindi na siya iba sa amin. Nakilala namin siya bilang abogada, bilang isang kaibigan, bilang isang parang ina namin ng Sumilao farmers," Orquillas said.
Back when she was still a human rights lawyer, Robredo has been defending the Sumilao farmers as a member of alternative law group SALIGAN. When their 1,700-kilometer walk traversed Naga, she briefly joined them for six kilometers along with her late husband Jesse, who as Naga City mayor, issued a resolution of support for the farmers.
Today, with a 144-hectare land they can call their own and P37 million in assets, Sumilao farmers throw in their support for Robredo, believing how she could replicate their victory for the rest of the struggling farmers and fisherfolks in the country.
"So, pangarap namin bilang magsasaka at mga mangingisda ay kung anuman ang tagumpay ng aming nakamit ay mapagtagumpayan din ng kagaya naming mga magsasaka. So pinapangarap po namin ma'am na kung kayo man, kayo ay aming mailuklok bilang Pangulo ng Pilipinas, ito po ang aming mga pangarap," Orquillas said.
"Kaming mga magsasaka at mga mangingisda, kasama kayo ma'am Leni at Senator Kiko Pangilinan, katuwang ang mga samahan at indibidwal na nakikilahok dito ay nanunumpa na itataguyod ang mga sumusunod para sa pagpapaunlad ng mga maliliit na mga magsasaka at mangingisda," she added.
Should she win the presidency, Robredo, in the pact she signed with Sumilao farmers, promised to distribute the 500,000 hectares of land under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) and to reform the Rice Tariffication Law.
She said she would also work to improve farmers' participation in the Philippine Coconut Authority Board and Trust Fund Management Committee, as well as pass the National Land Use Act (NLUA), among others.
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