ANGELES CITY– Hacienda Luisita farmers have accused a bank of allegedly harassing them by filing a series of “trumped up” criminal charges, the latest naming four female workers, including a minor, who were hurt in a recent clash with security men.
The Alyansa ng Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala) and the Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Gitnang Luson (AMGL) slammed the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) “for its non-stop filing of trumped up charges against leaders and members of Ambala.”
The two allied groups said another “grave coercion” case was filed by the bank against seven women farmworkers who “blocked the fencing by bank’s hired goons last June 15 within the 184 hectares in Barangay Balete” within the hacienda in Tarlac province.
Four women farmworkers, including a 16-year-old, was reportedly injured in the incident.
The 184 hectares were turned over by the Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI), controlled by Pres. Aquino’s family, to RCBC in 2005 as payment for a previous loan. But the hacienda farmers said this transaction was rendered invalid as the property was already being contested for land reform by the farmers at that time.
Last Jan. 5, the hacienda farmers filed a petition before the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) seeking the reversal of its decision that reclassifed the 184 hectares into industrial land, as they cited the bank’s failure to develop the property accordingly over a period prescribed by law.
“We strongly condemn the criminal cases filed by RCBC against the women farmworkers. It seems that filing of trumped up of charges has become their habit to harass and threaten the struggling farmworkers,” said Ambala chair Rodel Mesa.
Mesa noted that since August 2011, RCBC had filed against the farmworkers several cases, including illegal occupation of real property, malicious mischief and grave coercion amid “a series of demolitions, harassment and other rights abuses” allegedly by “RCBC goons and security guards.”
The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision on Nov. 22 last year, decided in favor of land distribution of Hacienda Luisita, formerly owned by the President’s family, but excluded the 184 hectares.
The Court instead ordered HLI to pay the farmworkers some P1.3 billion as their share from the sale of 500 hectares, including the portion owned by RCBC, to third parties.
Mesa said that “the June 15 incident had caused physical and mental anguish among the four women, including a minor, who were injured. It is very unjust that those hurt are the ones now being charged with criminal cases,” Mesa said.
“We are not surprised how so powerful RCBC has become as to undermine the farmworkers. We firmly believe that RCBC and the Cojuangco-Aquinos are conniving to repress farmworkers’ rights to land” he added.
AMGL chair Joseph Canlas said “Ambala’s position is very simple and justified- RCBC’s fencing operation is illegal as they could not present any court order.”
This, as Canlas lamented the DAR’s “slow action on the petition to revoke the industrial classification of the 184 hectares, thus, resulting to RCBC’s aggressive measures.”
“It seems DAR is now acting on the marching orders of Pres. Aquino. Disunity among farmworkers is the very objective of the President’s family, the Cojuangco-Aquinos,” Canlas added.
He said “RCBC and the Cojuangco-Aquinos are very much aware that the farmworkers under Ambala would not give up their claim and we know that they will exhaust all their resources to retain their control over the vast land of Hacienda Luisita.”
“As Aquino’s SONA is nearing, we challenge DAR to immediately act on the petition and Aquino to abandon his interest on Hacienda Luisita to avoid further abuses against the farmworkers,” he added.
