KIKO: CONTRACTORS MUST INDEMNIFY FARMERS; GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABILITY MUST BE INVESTIGATED
We strongly condemn the collapse of the dike in Sablayan, Occidental Mindoro that buried 150 hectares of rice fields under gravel and sand. This is not just a dike failure—it is a failure that wiped out the livelihood of farmers who rely on every harvest for their families’ survival and for the nation’s food security.
The contractors behind this project must be held liable and compelled to indemnify the farmers for their enormous losses. Hindi puwedeng matapos lang sa paumanhin o pangako—dapat may pananagutan. Our farmers cannot be left to shoulder the cost of negligence.
We also call on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and concerned local government agencies to explain their role in this disaster. Were construction standards followed? Was the project properly inspected and monitored? Kung may kapabayaan o pagkukulang, dapat ding papanagutin ang mga ahensya ng gobyerno.
This tragedy is a painful reminder: when public infrastructure fails, it is always the poor and the powerless who pay the highest price. Hindi puwedeng palaging magsasaka at mga ordinaryong Pilipino ang laging nabibiktima.
We demand swift action—indemnification for the farmers, accountability for those responsible, and urgent reforms to ensure this will never happen again.