MANILA, June 28, 2011—Farm-workers of the Hacienda Luisita urged the Supreme Court to immediately release its decision on the disputed land in order to stop speculations that it is siding with the Cojuangco-Aquinos.
In a statement, Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) secretary general Rodel Mesa said the members of the High Tribunal should prove themselves clean about the rumors of “under-the-table†negotiations regarding the controversial land row.
Since August last year, there had been a series of hearings regarding the alleged arbitrary compromise deal between the Cojuangco-Aquinos and some alleged fake leaders of Alyansa ng mga Mangggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita or Ambala.
Ambala’s legal counsel, Atty. Jobert Pahilga from the Sentro ng Tunay na Repormang Agraryo (Sentra) has turned down the offered solution, referring to the compromise deal, saying that it would not benefit the farm-worker beneficiaries at all.
“If not for the Cojuangco-Aquino’s resiliency and meddling, Hacienda Luisita had already been given to the farm workers and enjoying the fruit of labor as early as 1967. The Presidential Agrarian Reform Council’s 2005 decision did only confirm our experiences of being in the miserable economic state under the Stock Distribution Option scheme, prolonging the decision would only means delaying justice and that is not justice at all! [However] no matter what the decision the high court would give, we are ready to undertake the situation. If it’s in favor to the farm workers, then we are willing 101% to take the lead through Ambala and manage the whole Hacienda Luisita. If not, then we will go the distance to make all the necessary means to fight what is right for the interest of the Hacienda Luisita farm workers,†said Mesa, who is also a farm-worker from the Cojuangco-Aquino’s sugar estate. (Noel Sales Barcelona)
