“Distribute Hacienda Luisita now,” Noynoy urged

As Sen. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III announced his plan to run for president this coming election in 2010, the militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP, Peasant Movement of the Philippines) urged him to convince his family to immediately distribute Hacienda Luisita to agricultural workers.

“Though he seems supported by the middle to upperclass, the basic sectors majorly the peasantry, would certainly be interested to ask about Hacienda Luisita, and we from the KMP are urging him to convince his family, the Cojuangcos to immediately distribute the lands to the agricultural workers,” said Danilo Ramos, KMP Secretary-General.

“We are also interested in his agenda regarding genuine land reform, as if this is not realized, justice and democracy would just be lip-service,” added Ramos.

The 6,453-hectare Hacienda Luisita was acquired by Jose “Don Pepe” Cojuangco (father of Corazon and Peping Cojuangco) in August 1957 through a loan of $2.1 million from Manufacturer’s Trust Company of New York and Chase Manhattan Bank in the US, also P5.9 million from Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). This was guaranteed by the Central Bank and GSIS with a condition such as in a certain period of time, the lands would be distributed to the agricultural workers in line of the “social justice” policy of the Magsaysay government.

In November 1957 and February 1958, the GSIS issued resolutions demanding the Cojuangcos to distribute the lands to agricultural workers. Also, in 1985, then Manila Regional Trial Court judge Bernardo Pardo ordered the distribution of lands to be parceled to agricultural workers. The Cojungcos defied the order until the February 1986 People Power when former president Cory Aquino came to power.

“A reporter asked Noynoy about his program on justice and he sampled the case of Sen. Trillanes. But with the case of agricultural workers in Hacienda Luisita, justice remains to be a fantasy unless lands are distributed,” said Ramos.

“Hacienda Luisita was acquired by the Cojuangcos through public funds, so it should be owned by the public and subjected to agrarian reform. The agricultural workers are the legitimate owners of Hacienda Luisita,” Ramos said.

“We also want to know his stand regarding the massive landgrabbing unleashed by Republic Act No. 9700 or Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms (CARPER). Since this was passed, our regional and provincial chapters have faced landgrabbing threats from government officials such as Court of Appeals Associate Justice Vicente Veloso and Rep. Luis Villafuerte,” Ramos added.

“We are calling for the people to insist Noynoy to be an instrument of genuine land reform starting from his own backyard, otherwise he would be just the same with other past presidents who protected landlords, compradors and monopoly agro-corporations and in doing so, oppressed, killed and violated the basic rights of Filipino peasants,” Ramos called.#