ANGELES CITY – The Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL) and the Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala) decried yesterday the use of the police and the military to stop farmers from tilling lands at the Hacienda Luisita where violence almost broke out over the weekend.
Ambala chairperson Felix Nacpil said officials of the Cojuangco-controlled Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) led last Sunday some 50 members of Tarlac provincial police, eight soldiers from the Philippine Army and 30 security guards to stop farmers from tilling their farms in Barangay Balate in the hacienda.
Nacpil said the police, soldiers and guards were apparently deployed to secure a group of local folk in setting up their own camp in the area.
Farmers belonging to Ambala had been camping out near their farms in the area which is reportedly within the 180 hectares paid by the Cojuangcos to the Rizal Commercial and Banking Corp. (RCBC) as payment for a loan.
Nacpil said Ambala farmers saw HLI secretary Buena Timbol arrive with the cops and soldiers.
“The Cojuangco-Aquinos are using the police and military to intimidate the farm workers and hamper our cultivation.
They are threatening us, the legitimate owners of the land based on the decision of the Supreme Court,” said Nacpil.
Nacpil said that Ambala farmers held on to their camps and prevented the establishment of a new camp by those supported by HLI by forming a human barricade.
“Since the 1950’s the Cojuangco-Aquinos have used such tactics to threaten farm workers and keep them under their control,” Nacpil said, as he recalled the Hacienda Luisita Massacre on November 16, 2004 when members of police and military opened fire at striking farm workers resulting to seven deaths and more than a hundred wounded.
Nacpil also noted the series of extra-judicial killings and “massive militarization such as the setting up of military detachment at every barangay inside the hacienda” as forms of intimidation against tenants seeking land reform in the hacienda.
“Now that the Supreme Court decided last Nov. 22 to distribute the lands to us, the harassment of the beneficiaries is being sustained,” he said.
This, even as the AMGL insisted that the resignation of Solicitor General Joel Cadiz was prompted by his alleged failure to work against the decision of the Supreme Court to distribute lands at the hacienda.
“We believe that the Cojuangcos had a hand in Cadiz’ resignation, as the President’ s family was seriously enraged with the decision of the Supreme Court and they blamed Aquino and his solicitor general for this,” said Joseph Canlas, AMGL chairperson.
He also linked the impeachment move against Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona as part of an alleged plot to reverse land distribution at the hacienda.
The HLI has a pending appeal for the Supreme Court to reconsider stock distribution option as a better alternative for hacienda tenants.
“Aquino is digging his own presidency’s grave as this would be a clear betrayal of public trust. It’s impeaching a chief justice based on his family’s interest over Hacienda Luisita,” Canlas said.
