The Central Luzon farmers’ group, which had expressed fears that the impeachment of Chief Justice Roberto Corona could lead to the Supreme Court’s reversal of its decision to distribute lands in Hacienda Luisita, clarified yesterday it is supportive of the magistrate’s ouster.
“We are asked about our position on Corona’s impeachment as many see that he decided favorably for the Hacienda Luisita farmworkers.
We are clarifying that he may have voted favorably, it (the decision) was actually the result of the sustained and ceaseless struggle of the farmworkers themselves, beefed up by the active support of different sectors,” said Joseph Canlas, chairman of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid ng Gitnang Luson (AMGL) said.
“There is no debate that he is a lackey of (former President) Arroyo, positioned to the last minute for her protection,” Canlas said.
Canlas stressed that “AMGL supports the impeachment efforts against Corona as he served as Arroyo’s last knight in shining armor.”
Canlas stressed that the Alyansa ng Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala), a member organization of AMGL, also supports the impeachment against Corona.
“Being part of the people’s movement pushing for reforms, AMGL and Ambala and all our provincial chapters support the impeachment which involves the interest of all sectors of our society,” Canlas said.
But he also stressed that while Corona remains chief justice pending the impeachment trial, he should already “break away from being a lackey of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and assert the people’s interests on cases pending before the high court.”
Last Jan. 9, Canlas, in behalf of AMGL, issued a statement saying that the Supreme Court’s verdict last Nov. 22 ordering the distribution of Hacienda Luisita lands to the farmers was probably the triggering factor that drove Pres. Aquino for Corona’s impeachment. “Corona knows this,” he said in the statement.
Corona later echoed this in his statement before his supporters at the Supreme Court before the start of the impeachment trial started last Monday.
In a statement, AMGL, however, noted that Corona, as associate justice, had at one time also allegedly served the interests of the Cojuangco-Aquino clan which had owned Hacienda Luisita until the high court ordered on Nov. 22 last year that the estate be distributed to farmers.
AMGL recalled that “the Supreme Court acted slowly on the temporary restraining order (TRO) filed by the Cojuangco-Aquinos against the implementation of Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) decision revoking the Stock Distribution Option (SDO) that lasted for more than 5 years since it was issued on June 2006.”
“Farmworkers submitted numerous letters to the Supreme Court for years to act on the issue,” Canlas recalled.
He said that when Corona became chief justice, the Supreme Court issued a decision that also favored the Cojuangco-Aquino clan by ordering another referendum opening the hacienda anew to SDO instead of outright land distribution.
“The Hacienda Luisita issue was the only issue that made farmers and other sectors to converge at (the Supreme Court on ) Padre Faura and that pressured the high court,” Canlas said.
AMGL also cited the alleged failure of Corona “to assert the people’s interest” by being one of those who upheld the constitutionality of the Batas Pambansa 880 or the Public Assembly Act of 1985, Republic Act 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, RA 9136 or the Electric Power Industry Act (EPIRA) RA 8479 or Oil Deregulation Law, Stock Distribution Option (SDO), allowed value-added tax imposed on toll fees, coco levy decision favoring business tycoon Eduardo Danding Cojuangco, Jr., and “other issues that involved the people’s interests.”
“These issues affect the whole country, trampling on the people’s rights and interests,” Canlas also said.
At the same time, AMGL also urged Corona to “act on the increasing cases of demolition and displacement of folk within Metro Manila, Central Luzon and other regions where government projects have led to grave violation of people’s rights, mass displacement of farmers and conversion of productive agricultural lands.”
The group again warned the Aquino government against using the impeachment move against Corona as a means to appoint a replacement that would work out for the reversal of the distribution of lands at Hacienda Luisita.
