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“The Cojuangco-Aquinos are hell-bent on maintaining control of the Luisita estate and in implementing their grand master plan to convert the sugar plantation into a giant commercial hub, in contempt and complete reversal of the 2012 Supreme Court decision for total land distribution.”-- Florida Sibayan, chair of the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang-Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala)
“There should be no need to require farmworkers to apply for the purchase of lands that they already own. There is, therefore, no basis for the DAR’s imposition to farm worker beneficiaries to sign the Affidavit of Purchase and Farmers’ Undertaking.”
“To reopen the case is but to afford due process to the complainants.”
BACK STORY | The Hacienda Luisita massacre: How it happened
The DAR said that from 2011 to June 2014, Landbank disbursed P4.052 billion ($92.94 million) representing the cash portion of landowners compensation to more than 4,000 landowners whose lands were distributed to farmer-beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program. Of this amount, P471.50 million ($10.48 million) was paid to Hacienda Luisita. Incorporated (HLI).
On the average, a hectare of land yields 100 cavans of rice. The 53 hectares of land destroyed could have produced 5,300 cavans of rice per harvest season or 10,600 cavans for one year. A cavan is equivalent to 50 kilos.
In the past months, more than a hundred hectares of land in the villages of Balete and Cutcut were bulldozed and reclaimed by security guards of the Cojuangco-Aquinos.
“They destroyed everything. After felling our banana trees, they even got the fruits. They did the same with our squash. They did not spare our palay seeds, 12 cavans of it, which we were supposed to plant this July 15.”
“A genuine agrarian reform scheme will address the centuries-old problem of peasant landlessness, which the CARP has not solved and in fact worsened. Up till now 7 out of 10 farmers do not own the land they till, in some regions like Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon it is 8 out of 10.” – Bayan Muna Rep Neri Colmenares
“Why can’t the DAR allow us to continue cultivating the land we have occupied since 2005?”
Hundreds of farmers and their supporters are facing various criminal charges filed by Tadeco, Tarlac police and the DAR-hired survey firm.
Two years after the Supreme Court ordered the distribution of Hacienda Luisita lands to farmworker-beneficiaries, the Cojuangco-Aquinos, with the help of the Department of Agrarian Reform, have been doing everything to maintain their stranglehold on Luisita, and to provent farmers from taking control of their own land.
On the second anniversary of the Supreme Court ruling on Hacienda Luisita, farmworker-beneficiaries stormed the main office of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). They called on Secretary Virgilio delos Reyes to face them in a dialogue but neither the DAR chief nor any of his representative talked to the farmers. Instead, anti-riot police pushed Hacienda Luisita farmers out of the DAR compound.
Two years after the SC decision, Hacienda Luisita farmers said DAR has not performed its mandate of distributing the land.
“What they are doing to us is inhumane. Where is justice?” – Jaime Quiambao, one of the arrested farmers of Hacienda Luisita
Renato Mendoza, a leader of the Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Asyenda Luisita has but one message for President Aquino: “Order your family to stop grabbing our land.”
“The DAR must stop the continued bulldozing and fencing of agricultural lands by the Cojuangco-Aquino owned Tarlac Development Corporation (Tadeco), Luisita Realty Corporation (LRC) and Central Azucarera de Tarlac (CAT).”
“Police, armed men and other agents of the Cojuangco-Aquino family who are responsible for the destruction of our crops, homes and livelihood run free despite our formal complaints before several government agencies... We farmers, however, who have not committed any wrongdoing were quickly imprisoned.”
This is the third time that Florida Sibayan was detained for fighting for their right to land in Hacienda Luisita.
Tadeco and CAT, both owned by the Cojuangco-Aquino clan, are claiming ownership over 258 hectares of land in Balete, 374 hectares in Mapalacsiao and 104 hectares in Cutcut.
“We must continue our struggle; only until we reclaim our land would there be genuine justice.” – Tarlac City Councilor Emily Ladera-Facunla
“What’s the use of my position if I could not defend the rights of my constituents? It’s better to die serving the people of the Hacienda Luisita than to die without meaning.” – Tarlac City Councilor Emily Ladera-Facunla
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