Mendiola massacre

The Mendiola massacre was an incident that took place on Mendiola Street, San Miguel, Manila, Philippines on January 22, 1987, in which state security forces violently dispersed a farmers' march to Malacañang Palace in protest for the slow pace of government action on land reform.

President Corazon Aquino tasked a constitutional commission to draft the country's new Constitution in 1986, wherein agrarian reform was explicitly mentioned within it. Despite her intentions for agrarian reform, in the first months of her administration, her plans for farmers were hampered by coup attempts by Marcos loyalists, the massive debt incurred by the previous Marcos dictatorship, and the many Marcos cronies who continued to hold onto the vast lands they received under the Marcos decades, which led to possible land reforms being hampered. As tensions rose, the turbulent turn of events sparked rallies and demonstrations taken part by farmers, workers, and students protesting the slow pace of agrarian social justice. State forces in the area opened fire at the protestors, without a shoot order from the President. According to reports of survivors, riot personnel disguised as civilians opened fire on unarmed protesters killing at least 12 and injuring 51 protesters. President Aquino criticized the state forces who shot the protestors without her order. She also acknowledged the tragedy and responded by implementing the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP), and issued several executive and administrative orders to fast-track agrarian reform. Due to the massacre's high profile among the public, Marcos loyalists who were obstructing President Aquino's land reforms were forced not to block legislations concerning agrarian reform.