This story
was taken from Bulatlat, the Philippines's alternative weekly
newsmagazine (www.bulatlat.com, www.bulatlat.net, www.bulatlat.org).
Vol. VI, No. 10, April 9-15, 2006
HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Tirso Cruz:
14th Luisita Martyr
As the 14th martyr
of the Hacienda Luisita struggle was buried, the issues connected to his death
continue to hound the strife-torn hacienda.
BY ABNER BOLOS Concepcion, Tarlac -
The mourners marched under the
scorching sun passing lush corn and vegetable plots and the giant expressway
project that has cut a wide swath across the vast sugar estate. Cruz survived the November
16 Luisita massacre where seven strikers were killed at the picket line. The
killing of leaders and supporters of the strike continued, ironically, in the
presence of. hundreds of soldiers in detachments in the 10 villages of the
hacienda. Killed by
government agents Cruz led the cultivation
(known here as “bungkalan”) and protests against the expressway project.
He was also very vocal in protesting the presence of soldiers and calling for
their withdrawal. © 2006 Bulatlat
■
Alipato Publications Permission is granted to reprint or redistribute this article, provided its author/s and Bulatlat are properly credited and notified.
Gitnang Luson News Service
Posted by Bulatlat
Tirso Cruz, 33, officer of the United Luisita Workers’ Union (ULWU), was buried
on March 28 as the issues connected to his death continue to hound the
strife-torn hacienda. He is regarded as the 14th martyr of the Hacienda Luisita
struggle.
Cruz was one of the key leaders of the 5,000-strong plantation workers’ union,
which along with the sugar mill workers union, launched a strike in November
2004. The strike caused major changes in the relations between the workers and
the owners of the 6,000-hectare sugar plantation.
The strike ended in December 2005. The stock distribution plan under the
Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program of the government was revoked paving the
way for the transfer of land ownership from the Cojuangco family to the farm
workers.
In the course of the strike, the farm workers defied a management edict
prohibiting workers to use the land and dared to cultivate parcels for
subsistence. They planted vegetables, rice and corn on the land that used to be
devoted solely to sugar cane.
The construction of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway Project (SCTEP), a
flagship project of the Arroyo administration also began in spite of opposition
by the farm workers who say that it is part of the scheme to deny them of their
claim to the land.
Federico Cruz, 60, father of the slain union leader said that only government
agents could have killed his son.
He testified that at 12:30 am on March 17, he was walking home along with Tirso
and one of his sons in their village in Pando, Concepcion when assassins on
board a motorcycle came from behind and repeatedly shot Tirso.
“We passed the motorcycle on the way. Then we heard it moving and coming from
behind us. We parted ways as we walked to give way to the motorcycle. Suddenly
there was a burst of gunfire and Tirso fell face down on the ground,” the elder
Cruz recounted.
He said an assassin poked his rifle at Tirso’s brother and went on to shoot the
victim before they sped away, Cruz said.
“The motorcycle passed by the soldiers’ detachment which was only about 100
meters from where my son was killed. Residents went to the detachment to ask for
help but were ignored. They even put the lights out in the detachment instead of
helping us,” Cruz said. GLNS / Posted by Bulatlat