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Friday, January 20, 2012

Farmers to serve 'notice of eviction' to Luisita

By MARVYN N. BENANING
January 20, 2012, 7:46pm

MANILA, Philippines — Farm workers from Hacienda Luisita are serving a "notice of eviction" to the Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI), owned by the Cojuangco-Aquino family of the President, through a rally set Saturday in Mendiola, Manila.

The symbolic notice orders the HLI management to "vacate the 4,916-hectare sugar estate by virtue of the Supreme Court decision on November 22, 2011 that revoked the Stock Distribution Option (SDO) and paved the way for the distribution of disputed lands to farm workerbeneficiaries."

While farmers will do this symbolic act, Deputy Presidential Spokes woman Abigail Valte said the Aquino government is committed to follow the Supreme Court decision.

She said the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) is already talking to the farmer-beneficiaries in light of the High Court’s ruling.

Leaders of Hacienda Luisita-based groups Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala), the United Luisita Workers Union (ULWU) and their mother federation Unyon ng Mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) said their symbolic act will be held in commemoration the Mendiola Massacre on this same day 25 years ago.

Thirteen farmers from Central Luzon and Southern Tagalog died and more than 100 rural activists were injured when security forces fired at them on that dark day in history.

UMA Secretary General Rodel Mesa said that aside from the "notice of eviction," the beneficiaries will also demand President Benigno S. Aquino III, the Cojuangco-Aquino family and the HLI management pay farmers P1.33 billion, representing their share from the previous sales of portions of the hacienda to private companies and commercial groups.

Mesa said the notice of eviction also covers the nullification of the 500 hectares of land nominally owned by the Rizal Commercial Banking Corp. (RCBC), asserting that the land belongs to Luisita farm workers.

Ambala, ULWU and UMA have already petitioned the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to reverse the conversion permit granted to RCBC.

Meanwhile, President Aquino said the land dispute involving the Hacienda Luisita has nothing to do with the administration’s dogged pursuit to impeach Chief Justice Renato C. Corona.

The President even challenged Corona to answer the impeachment charges hurled against him rather than resort to "squid tactics" to conceal the truth.

"Just answer the issue. They are asking if you have filed your SALN (Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Net Worth), if you publicly disclosed it. He could have said, ‘Yes I filed it on this date and published in this newspaper in meeting the public disclosure requirement of the constitution.’ What is the connection with Luisita?" the President said in Filipino during a Palace press conference.

Corona and his defenders have reportedly claimed that the root of Chief Justice’s impeachment is the High Court’s decision on the vast sugar estate owned by the Cojuangco family. The Supreme Court has unanimously overturned the stock distribution option of the Cojuangcos and ordered the immediate distribution of the land to the farmers.

Aquino, however, said Corona should just respond to the "many questions" raised against him, including those concerning his properties acquired over the years, so the truth will finally be revealed. (With a report from Genalyn D. Kabiling)

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