GMA Brandtalk
Tracking
Archives
Robin Padilla arrives in Kidapawan: 'Nandito ako dahil Pilipino ako!'
Robin Padilla arrived in Kidapawan City on Saturday to meet the farmers who were violently dispersed by the police the previous day.
The popular action film star, accompanied by Bayan Muna party-list representative Neri Colmenares, visited the Spottswood Methodist Center and listened to the grievances of the farmers before speaking to them impromptu.
"Mga mahal kong kababayan ako po ay nandito dahil hindi ako pulitiko. Tandaan niyo yan, kahit kailan hindi ako papasok sa pulitika. Hindi ako nandito... hindi ako humihingi ng boto. Nandito ako dahil Pilipino ako. Yung mga nangyayari sa inyo hindi yan dapat nangyayari sa Pilipino. Ang batas, dapat ang pinapanigan nyan ang mga naaapi," Padilla said before a awe-struck crowd.
Padilla also vowed to bring their plight to Manila.
"Itong boses ko aalingawngaw to... papaalingawngawin ko ito sa Maynila," he said.
watch: Robin Padilla's solidarity message to the thousands of farmers in Kidapawan #BigasHindiBala
Posted by Anakbayan on Saturday, April 2, 2016
Padilla then went to the Kidapawan Mega Market and personally bought 200 sacks of rice for the farmers and their families.
The protesting farmers need at least 15,000 bags to enable them to survive the dry spell according to Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas.
He also told the farmers that more aid will come as his affluent friends have pledged money to buy more rice for them.
Before his arrival, the actor posted a video of the Kidapawan incident with a quote from the late Luis Taruc, founder of the Hukbalahap.
Ang pag aaklas ng mga uring walang lupa o naagawan ng lupa laban sa mga uring nagmamay ari ng lupa at makapangyarihan ay nagdudulot lamang ng mas lalong kahirapan sa mga magsasaka sapagkat ang mga nakikibaka ay Anak ng magsasaka at ang nanghuhuli sa kanila ay Anak din ng magsasaka kayat sa katapusan ng lahat ang nagwagi ay ang mga Haciendero at ang nawalan ay ang mga maglulupa --- Luis Taruc Ang sumunod na Supremo ng rebolusyon pagkatapos ni Andres Bonifacio
Posted by Robin Padilla on Friday, April 1, 2016
Meanwhile, presidential candidates Senator Grace Poe and Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte have also committed to donate sacks of rice for the farmers.
This was confirmed by Ariel Casilao, Makabayan's national executive vice president, in an interview with dxND Radyo Bida.
In a press briefing, North Cotabato Governor Emmylou Talino-Mendoza did not take kindly to the aid promised by the presidential hopefuls and said that it is a political move.
"It’s a big insult to my province and to the mayors," she said. "“Where are you in the past days?"
Around 5,000 farmers have closed the highway connecting Cotabato to Davao and other nearby provinces for three days until the Philippine National Police carried out the dispersal on Friday.
Three farmers were killed while dozens of protesters and policemen were injured in the incident. — Williamor Magbanua/APG, GMA News
