The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and its local chapter Alyansa ng Manggagawang-bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) lambasted the Hacienda Luisita Incorporated (HLI) management for invoking lies on the motion for reconsideration it filed to the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) last Monday. 

According to Rene “Ka Boyet” Galang, concurrent president of United Luisita Worker’s Union (ULWU) and AMBALA, “we can prove point by point that the HLI motion is just a bunch of lies fused to reverse the PARC decision revoking the stock distribution option (SDO) in the hacienda. First off, the absolute barometer if the SDO indeed works and is pro-farmer is the status of us farm workers in the hacienda. On that aspect alone, it is glaringly obvious that the SDO is a sham and has caused further hardship for us peasants instead of the Cojuangco’s promise of prosperity and a better life. Secondly, we filed our petition for the revocation of the SDO in October 2003, while HLI only allegedly complied with distribution of all the shares in 2004. This is still questionable though and it is obvious that their so-called compliance was just an after thought, which was caused by our petition to the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR),”

“We can also prove that as late as last year the HLI management is still trying to give out shares so that they can say that they are complying with the SDO, but this should have been done months after the implementation of the SDO and not 16 years afterwards. It is obvious that they are out to mislead the PARC and the public as to the real status of the hacienda and what they are doing with the profits,” added Galang.

Meanwhile Atty. Jobert Pahilga, executive trustee of the Sentro Para sa Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (SENTRA) and legal counsel of the farm workers said “it is not true that there was no process that was followed regarding the decision and that there will be no compensation. In fairness to the PARC, due process was followed and hearings were called for both parties to attend but it is the representatives of the HLI management who seldom attend these hearings. Actually these hearings took such a long time that the farm workers are really impatient of the decision, as can be remembered we filed the petition October 2003 and the decision was reached December 20, 2005, that was more than 2 years of waiting as well as the fact that my clients have suffered for more than 16 years under the SDO.

“As for the compensation, the HLI management will get their due compensation as mentioned in the decision. The matter to be determined now is how much, that is why there is an ongoing evaluation of the land and other assets. If my clients are to be asked, the Cojuangcos’ should not get anything and in fact, it is they who owe the farm workers. So essentially the HLI management’s arguments are built on thin air, in an effort to again defraud the farm workers,” ended Pahilga. # # #
 

KMP - 4 January 2006