MANILA, Philippines – The militant Anakpawis Party-list condemned the latest abuse in Hacienda Luisita, this time involving the demolition of the house of a farmer, Charlito “Tatang Gerry” Catalan, on May 30 in Brgy. Mapalacsiao by men employed by a group of sugarcane planters associated with the Cojuangco-Aquino family. This is amidst reports that former Anakpawis Representative Rafael “Ka Paeng” Mariano, a known ally of the farm workers was chosen by next president Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte as Secretary of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) of his administration.
“We condemn this latest atrocity by the Cojuangco-Aquino family against the poor farmers of Hacienda Luisita. We vow support to farmers led by Ambala to take back the lands grabbed by the Cojuangco-controlled firm Tadeco,” Anakpawis Representative Fernando “Ka Pando” Hicap said in a statement.
Anakpawis said that the Hacienda Luisita issue has been an “atrocity exhibition” by the Cojuangco-Aquino family against the farmers, ranging from massacres, extra-judicial killings, assault, harassment, political persecution even against a member of the House of Representatives and former Chief Justice of the judiciary Renato Corona.
“We urge the Duterte presidency to end the feudal reign of the Cojuangco-Aquino family, who circumvented the high court’s decision favoring the farm workers, as DAR is under the authority of Aquino,” Hicap said.
In November 2011 and April 2012, the Supreme Court decided the scrapping of the stock distribution plan (SDP) in Hacienda Luisita and ordered the distribution of lands to farmer beneficiaries. But DAR under the Aquino regime undermined this decision, by implementing a preposterous “tambiolo” distribution of CLOA and inaction to the grabbing of lands and abuses done by the Cojuangco firm Tarlac Dev’t Corp. (Tadeco).
Anakpawis urged the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita to stand firm as DAR would be headed by Mariano, who served as a member of the congress and delivered a privilege speech immediately after they were massacred and still hunted by the government forces in November 2004.
“Ka Paeng as DAR secretary is only a step towards realizing genuine agrarian reform in Hacienda Luisita, but we know that the Cojuangco-Aquino family would utilize even the most evil ways just to preserve control over the lands, hence, the only decisive factor would be the resilient and consolidated unity of the farm workers to concretely assert their rights to land,” Hicap said.
Anakpawis said that it is preparing a comprehensive house resolution in the 17th congress to investigate how DAR undermined the Supreme Court decision, consequently protecting the interest of the Cojuangco-Aquino family.
“With Ka Paeng in DAR, we are confident that the collusion between the Cojuangco-Aquino family and officials would be shed to light, and the grounds to hold them liable build up,” Hicap said.
Anakpawis and Mariano, who also chairs the national farmers’ group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) are pushing for the Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB) that proposes “free distribution of land” to farmers, as a total opposite of the dead law Republic Act No. 6657 or the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP)./Anakpawis.net