Those officials of the Kilusang Magbubukid Pilipinas who urged their members from Cagayan, Isabela, and Kalinga-Apayao to come to Manila and make a personal appeal to President Aquino (The Times, May 19) should have first made sure that the President would receive them.

Since these KMP officials did not take this commonsensical step, these poor peasants waster 5 days, three of them under the rain and hot sun.

Mr. Jaime Tadeo and his colleagues should be bright enough to understand that no government can endure if, each time a few hundred people camp outside the Palace gates, it drops everything just to listen to the group's demands.

I do not condemn Mr. Tadeo in stronger terms only because I realize that the channels through which people may air their demands are inefficient, if not insufficient.

Still, Mr. Tadeo should recognize that all of us have priorities which we want the government to pay attention to. Mr. Tadeo and his people should stand in line -- just like the rest of us.

MARISSA GUINTO