The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) poised this “challenge”” to presidential aspirants Vice-President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Grace Poe, and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
“We are challenging the three presidential frontrunners, Binay, Poe, and Duterte, on the genuine distribution of Hacienda Luisita and other vast landholdings the Araneta Estate in San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan and Rodriguez, Rizal owned by the relatives of Mar Roxas,” said KMP Chair Rafael Mariano.
Mariano said that “the failure of these presidential hopefuls to declare support for genuine distribution of Hacienda Luisita and other plantations would make them no diff erent from the current haciendero government of Aquino.”
“The distribution of Hacienda Luisita and other vast haciendas would be a litmus test for presidential wannabes,” he said.
The Supreme Court in 2012 ordered the distribution of all agricultural lands in Hacienda Luisita which used to be entirely owned by the President’s Cojuangco side of his family.
“The challenge for Binay, Poe, and Duterte is to reverse the DAR’s fake distribution scheme that was designed to displace the farm workers and divide their ranks,” said Mariano.
For his part, KMP Secretary General Antonio Flores said that “up to now, no presidential bet has categorically declared support for genuine land reform.”
“We will never hesitate to expose candidates who only pretend, insult, and snub the peasantry’s demand for genuine land reform. Even our allies,” Flores warned.
Mariano recalled that “29 years ago, genuine land reform was the very same demand aired by farmers to the then administration of Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino.”
On January 22, 1987, farmers marched to Malacanang to demand genuine land reform but upon reaching the foot of Mendiola Bridge, anti- riot personnel from the Western Police District, the Integrated National Police, and the Philippine Marines opened fire on the farmers. Farmers were killed, including Danilo Arjona, Leopoldo Alonzo, Adelfa Aribe, Dionisio Bautista, Roberto Caylao, Vicente Campomanes, Ronilo Dumanico, Dante Evangelio, Angelito Gutierrez, Rodrigo Grampan, Bernabe Laquindanum, Sonny Boy Perez, and Roberto Yumul. More than 80 others were wounded.
Mariano recalled that the massacre scuttled peace talks between the government and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines.
