. 24/7 Space News .
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Two killed in Philippines as police disperse drought protest
by Staff Writers
Manila (AFP) April 2, 2016


Two people were killed in the southern Philippines after clashes between police and thousands of drought-hit farmers protesting over a lack of food, a demonstration leader said Saturday.

Patches of blood stained a parched highway in impoverished Kidapawan city, capital of Cotabato province, which had been barricaded by 6,000 farmers since Wednesday to demand 15,000 sacks of rice from the government.

Gunshots were fired and rocks hurled into the air during a scuffle between police and demonstrators on Friday, an AFP photographer on the scene saw, as the authorities tried to disperse the crowds.

"We asked for rice. Instead, they gave us bullets," protest leader Norma Capuyan, who witnessed the melee, told AFP.

"The farmers are starving because they have nothing to eat. We went there looking for a solution."

The Philippines has been gripped by a strong El Nino dry spell since December which has hit food production, particularly in the conflict-wracked south which is home to the country's poorest and where more than half of the population is reliant on agriculture.

Panicked protesters picked their bloodied comrades from the highway and treated their wounds by the roadside as they were sprayed with water from firetrucks, Capuyan said.

"Everyone was angry. The police were hitting us. It was a real commotion," Capuyan said, adding that the rallyists had left the highway and retreated to a nearby church.

Capuyan claimed 116 protesters were wounded while 89 others were missing. The two gunshot fatalities were male farmers in their 40s, she said.

Police could not immediately confirm the fatalities, but said 40 of its men were also hurt in the ruckus, two of them in critical condition.

Authorities "exhausted all possible remedies" to end the protest peacefully, but farmers started the scuffle by throwing rocks and twigs, national police spokesman Chief Superintendent Wilben Mayor said in a statement.

North Cotabato governor Emmylou Mendoza told reporters she was taking "full responsibility" for the incident.

Presidential spokesman Manolo Quezon said an investigation was underway.

"There is no reason why people must die for asking for assistance from their own government," he told reporters on Saturday.

The state weather bureau had warned last year that rainfall could decrease by as much as 80 percent during the drought, which is expected to last until the middle of this year.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Climate Science News - Modeling, Mitigation Adaptation






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
CLIMATE SCIENCE
Rivers turn to dust as drought bites Somalia
Mogadishu (AFP) March 31, 2016
Somalia's bread basket has become a dust bowl as the life-giving waters of the mighty Shabelle river run dry amid intense drought in the war-torn country. River-fed farmlands have become parched playgrounds for children who kick footballs beneath a cloudless sky, as one sign among many of the failed rains that the United Nations warns has put more than a million people at risk. Elders in ... read more


CLIMATE SCIENCE
The Lunar Race That Isn't

Earth's moon wandered off axis billions of years ago

Ancient Polar Ice Reveals Tilting of Earth's Moon

Permanent Lunar Colony Possible in 10 Years

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Opportunity moves to new locations to the southwest

NASA: Manned mission to Mars still 'long way' off

Mars Express keeps watch on frosty Martian valleys

HiRISE: 45,000 Mars Orbits and Counting

CLIMATE SCIENCE
New DNA/RNA Tool to Diagnose, Treat Diseases

ASU to develop the next generation science education courseware for NASA

Space-Related Budget Requests for FY17

NASA Selects American Small Business, Research Institution Projects for Continued Development

CLIMATE SCIENCE
China's 1st space lab Tiangong-1 ends data service

China's aim to explore Mars

China to establish first commercial rocket launch company

China's ambition after space station

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Cargo ship reaches space station on resupply run

Unmanned Cygnus cargo ship launches to ISS on resupply run: NASA

Cygnus Set to Deliver Its Largest Load of Station Science, Cargo

Three new members join crew of International Space Station

CLIMATE SCIENCE
MHI signs H-IIA launch deal for UAE Mars mission

Launch of Dragon Spacecraft to ISS Postponed Until April

ILS and INMARSAT Agree To Future Proton Launch

Soyuz 2-1B Carrier Rocket Launched From Baikonur

CLIMATE SCIENCE
Oddball planet raises questions about origins of 'hot Jupiters'

Investigating the Mystery of Migrating 'Hot Jupiters'

Most eccentric planet ever known flashes astronomers with reflected light

VLA shows earliest stages of planet formation

CLIMATE SCIENCE
For the first time scientists can observe the nano structure of food in 3-D

A new model for how twisted bundles take shape

More efficient system for the synthesis of organic compounds

Study finds metal foam handles heat better than steel









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.