More farmers arrive in Kidapawan City 3 days after deadly dispersal

Two truckloads of farmers and their supporters arrived in Kidapawan City Sunday noon to show support for the protesters police violently dispersed last Thursday that left three people dead and scores of  others wounded.

GMA News' Saleema Refran on "Balitanghali" said police personnel were still guarding the United Methodist Church (UMC) where some of the scattered protesters ran for refuge during the clash with anti-riot police.

Near the UMC compound, police personnel with truncheons were at the front line while the heavily-armed units were at the back, Refran said of the position to the cops guarding the area.

Civil Disturbance Management units were also deployed there,  she added.

Under the punishing heat of the sun, farmers and sympathizers who arrived Sunday  noon tried to negotiate with local government officials to allow them to join the others camping out at the UMC grounds.

Meanwhile, as rice donations continue to pour into the compound, farmers' group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas Secretary General Antonio Flores said the donations would be evenly distributed to all the affected farmers.

Call for assistance

Cotabato farmers hit hardest by the long dry spell that has laid waste their crops trooped to Kidapawan City and occupied a portion of the national highway there to dramatize their call for assistance, including rice subsidy.

But on Thursday, the police forces came and forcibly broke their human barricade blocking the highway for days.

Three farmers were killed and dozens of protesters and policemen injured during the bloody dispersal of some 1,000 protesters.

Some of the scattered farmers ran for refuge into the UMC compound and have stayed there since the violent dispersal on Thursday. — Kiersnerr Gerwin Tacadena/LBG, GMA News