ANGELES CITY – Farmers of Hacienda Luisita accused yesterday the management of Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) of “misinforming and misleading” other farmers now backing a petition for the Supreme Court to reconsider and clarify the high court’s Nov. 22 verdict distributing hacienda lands to them.
“The SDO (Stock Distribution Option) petitioners have been highly misinformed and gravely misled by HLI to pursue the scheme in vain attempt to reverse the 14-0 decision of the Supreme Court calling for the distribution of 4,916 hectares of land to qualified farm worker beneficiaries,” said Rodel Mesa, secretary general of the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agricultura (UMA) based in the hacienda.
The management of HLI earlier filed a motion for reconsideration and clarification on the high court’s Nov. 22 order on land distribution, citing claims from some members from its SDO supervisory group that the stock distribution favored the farmers.
The petition cited the support of some 4,000 hacienda farmers reportedly in favor of SDO.
Felix Nacpil Jr., the current chairman of the Alyansa ng Mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala) said the farmers allegedly supporting SDO were being used as mere “fodder” by the Cojuangco-Aquino clan in a bid to divide the farmers and regain control of the hacienda.
“What kind of welfare they are talking about? Is P9.50 daily take home pay a privilege?” asked Mesa.
Mesa said the motion filed by HLI supervisory group “is the opening salvo of the Cojuangco-Aquino family to challenge the court’s 14-0 decision on Luisita.”
He said “the HLI management wants the sugar estate to remain with the Cojuangco-Aquino clan as a maximum objective, or pursue sky high price per hectare under the just compensation scheme as minimum agenda in exchange for the 4,916 hectares.”
“We urge them (SDO supervisory group members) not to be deceived by the management and their cohorts among their ranks promising them fool’s gold in exchange of their support for the reinstatement of the Stock Distribution Option” Mesa added.
Mesa also said “They are also workers like us being exploited by the Cojuangco-Aquino. We asked them not to be used as pawn against their farm worker counterparts.”
Nacpil described some SDO petitioners as “long time Cojuangco-Aquino lapdogs” who allegedly had benefitted financially for supported the stocks option.
“Just for a small amount of money, they are willing to sell their soul even to the devil. We are calling to all the 4,000 stock holders not to persuade to go along with this syndicated group’s will,” Nacpil said.
However, Nacpil said that Ambala still welcomes the “wayward” farmers into its fold, even as he insisted that his group’s position on land distribution is irrevocable.
“The only one who wants this issue float is the president’s family and some in significant few who want to show that farmer beneficiaries are squaring off against each other,” he noted.
“We are willing to talk this out with the remaining 4000 stock holders minus their leaders who obviously are hell bent to obstruct the court’s order by using them as cannon fodders to obstruct the court’s order.
This is the Cojuangco-Aquino’s end game to regain control of Luisita but we are more determined to assert our right to land as we are backed up by the 6,296 farm worker beneficiaries,” Nacpil also said.
