The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and its local chapter in Hacienda Luisita the Alyansa ng Manggagawang-Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) viewed the supposed scrapping of the stock distribution option (SDO) as a highly political move and is being used as a leverage against former president Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino and her family, who also called for Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s resignation. 

According to Ka Willy Marbella, internal deputy secretary general of KMP, “the timing of this Department of Land Reform (DLR) announcement is highly suspect and must be read in the context of our current political situation. Evidently the impending decision on the Luisita case is being used to blackmail the former president to recant her resignation call to Gloria. In the dialogues that ensued after the Luisita massacre, nothing has been settled to resolve the case and in all practicality the department almost slept on it. Now they are issuing this statement, when Gloria is at the eve of being ousted, there is indeed something fishy happening,”

“Besides the Macapagal-Arroyo administration itself is also accountable to the Hacienda Luisita massacre because it is through its orders that military and police personnel were sent to the azucarrera to massacre the farm workers. Both the Cojuangco-Aquinos and Gloria are responsible for the massacre and they cannot escape from that fact,” added the peasant leader.

Meanwhile Rene “Ka Boyet” Galang, president of AMBALA and the United Luisita Worker’s Union (ULWU) said that “if indeed the DLR is to scrap the SDO then it is a welcome development but we will not stop in demanding justice for our fallen comrades. 
The scrapping of the SDO does not mean that former president Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino\, her clan and the Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo can now go scot-free, on the contrary they should pay for what they have done to us,”

“It is deplorable though that the regime is using the issue to drive a wedge between the anti-Arroyo forces, but as it is the Macapagal-Arroyo administration is an expert in dirty tricks and tactics. But nonetheless we do not think that this would make Cory change her mind in calling for Gloria’s ouster, more so ours,” ended Galang. # # # 
 

KMP - 27 July 2005