ANGELES CITY– Anakpawis partylist Rep. Fernando Hicap, the chairperson of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala) and other activists were arrested by the Tarlac police at about 11 a.m. yesterday while probing alleged irregularities in the implementation of land reform in Hacienda Luisita.
Hicap, who is also national chair of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), was part of a national fact-finding mission team that initiated last Monday a two-day mission looking into the raffle or “tambiolo” system of the Department of Agrarian (DAR) criticized by leaders of the farm worker beneficiaries at the hacienda.
The mission was initiated by the Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) and Ambala. Pamalakaya spokesperson Gerry Corpuz said the police also arrested Danilo Ramos of Anakpawis Partylist; Florida Sibayan, acting chairperson of Ambala; Sister Patricia Fox, Ericson Acosta, Kerima Acosta, Rene Blazan, Kala San Juan, Ronald Matthew Gustillo, Luz Versola and many others.
“Hicap and the rest of the members of the fact-finding team had just come from a dialogue with the Philippine Army at Barangay Balete when members of Tarlac PNP arrested them. They were held at the Tarlac City Police Station under the command of deputy chief Jovy Pagarigan,” Corpuz said.
He cited the police as saying they would file charges of malicious mischief, illegal entry and assault on men in uniform against Hicap and the others. Those arrested denied the charges and described them as “preposterous.”
Pamalakaya Vice Chair Salvador France, also a member of the mission, said “a de facto martial law is being carried out through out Hacienda Luisita, and supporters of farm workers outside the sugar estate are banned and would be arrested in case they enter Luisita and express support or solidarity with the farm workers.”
“The members of the fact-finding mission where chased like wild boars by members of Tarlac police and they seemed confident and agitated as if the order came from Malacanang itself,” France said.
He noted that “land reform advocates from various sectors are in Hacienda Luisita to investigate the fraud, harassment and landgrabbing reported by farmworker beneficiaries that highlighted DAR’s distribution of Lot Allocation Certificates (LAC) in all of Hacienda Luisita’s 10 villages from July 18 to August 21.”
Former Anakpawis partylist Rep. Rafael Mariano noted that “DAR executed this sham land reform under the heavy presence of police and military and coerced farmworker beneficiaries to sign promissory notes or the Application to Purchase and Farmers’ Undertaking (APFU).
All these happened under a climate of impunity and injustice and without real intent to distribute Luisita lands.”
Mariano noted that hundreds of armed police and SWAT elements were deployed during the DAR’s land lottery activities distributing lands to the farmworkers as ordered by the Supreme Court in 2011.
“DAR Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes said they have concluded the lot allocation process in Hacienda Luisita and refusal of any identified farmer-benefi ciary to sign the APFU, is a ground for the farmer or farmworker to be stricken out of the list of beneficiaries and be replaced by other qualifi ed beneficiaries,” he also noted.
He said that “through the showcase lot allocation scheme, DAR coerced farmer-beneficiaries to take part in the tambiolo land reform raffle and sign the APFU that manifests willingness of farmer-beneficiaries to pay the amortization and real estate taxes of the lands and desist from committing socalled prohibited acts.”
