After the sham land distribution in Hacienda Luisita (HL), President Aquino’s kin filed charges versus critics and farmers. This only affirms the findings of the National Fact Finding Mission Report (FFM) which held the FFM September 16 -17, 2013.

An arraignment for the Hacienda Luisita 9 was held at the Tarlac City Municipal Trial Court (MTC) for physical assault at 1:30 pm today, while another hearing for them for malicious mischief filed by Tarlac Development Corporation (TADECO) will be held on December 12 at the same venue. TADECO is owned by the Cojuangcos.

Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita’s (AMBALA) legal counsel, Atty. Jobert Pahilga will also file a motion to dismiss charges against the Cutcut 81. 81 farmers in barangay Cutcut were charged by TADECO for unlawful detainer also in the MTC.

The grounds for the dismissal are that unlawful detainer is for lessee or a tenant who did not comply with the conditions of the landlord and who does not want to leave even if the contract expired. So there is no basis for this as the Cutcut 11 are not lessees nor tenants and have been cultivating the land since 2005. The rest is still planted to sugar cane.

Farmers under AMBALA are daring the Pnoy government to file this same case versus TADECO because it did not comply with the 1957 lease condition, whereby it should have given the lands back to the government for land reform a decade later.

TADECO suddenly appeared in the picture right after the Lot Allocation Certificates (LAC) were distributed in Cutcut on July 18. It is also grabbing lands in Barangay Balete and Mapalacsiao. In the former, it had already set-up a barbed wire fence and together with the police have been harassing the farmers ever since. TADECO is also the main suspect in the mysterious killing of Dennis de la Cruz on November 1^st.

The FFM which was organized by the Unyon ng mga Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA), AMBALA and the office of Anakpawis Party-List Representative Fernando Hicap concluded that the land reform in Hacienda Luisita was a sham.

And that the Cojuangco-Aquino clan has evidently sabotaged land reform through every means within its disposal through the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR). This includes the illegal, aggressive & immoral claims of TADECO over agricultural lands for a “Luisita master conversion plan” and the use of force, with both private armed personnel and state forces imposing the Cojuangco-Aquinos clan’s illegal authority.

Finally that government’s policy of institutionalized corruption and state terror and repression has made genuine land reform a distant reality for the thousands of farmworkers in Hacienda Luisita and for the millions of other farmers and tillers all over the country.

The recent developments stated above only confirm these findings.

Reference: 
Florida “Pong” Sibayan
Acting- Chairperson, AMBALA
CP # +639293201477

And Atty. Jobert Pahilga
CP no. +639394346930
—————
For further information on the continuing struggles at the Hacienda Luisita, please refer to:
http://bulatlat.com/main/2013/11/17/9-years-after-luisita-massacre-terror-continues/

“Nine years after the Hacienda Luisita Massacre, the struggle of the farm workers continues. The killings, human rights violations and deceit continue. There has been absolutely no justice attained under the BA Aquino administration,” Cristina Palabay, Karapatan secretary general said.

In November 16, 2004, thirteen Luisita farmworkers were massacred while they were on strike, demanding decent wages and land distribution. The big landlord clans of the Aquinos and Cojuangcos own the more than 5,000-hectare wide Hacienda Luisita.

“The Supreme Court may have decided to distribute the vast lands of Luisita in 2012, but the Aquinos and Cojuangcos, Dept. of Agrarian Reform and Tarlac Development Corporation (TADECO) are using all possible kinds of deception, bribery, state violence to prevent the lands to be actually distributed to all farmworkers,” Palabay said.

In those nine years, eight cases of extra-judicial killings and one enforced disappearance related to the Hacienda Luisita struggle was documented by Karapatan. This includes the murder of Obispo Maximo Alberto Ramento in October 3, 2006, a staunch supporter of the farm workers during and after the strike.

“Nine years after, those responsible to the massacre have not spent one day in prison. Former Dept. Of Labor and Employment secretary Patricia Sto. Tomas, is holding office at the Land Bank of the Philippines. Gen. Ricardo Visaya, head of the Philippine Army deployed in the Hacienda Luisita and a protege of Ret. Maj. Palparan is still sowing terror in the places where he is being deployed,” Palabay cited. Gen. Visaya’s recent stint of terror is the beheading of the village councilor Ely Oguis, justifying that the victim is an NPA tax collector. “Then Senator BS Aquino, whose family’s interests reign in the hacienda, is now the President,” Palabay said.

Meanwhile, Karapatan strongly condemns the latest case of extrajudicial killing in the town that recently suffered bombings by the Philippine Army.

While the whole world was witnessing the tragedy brought by typhoon Yolanda, Juban, Sorsogon in the Bicol Region suffered another case of extra-judicial killing. Wellington Brogada Jr., male, 50 years old was gunned down on morning of November 11, 2013 in front of his house in Brgy. Catanagan, Juban, Sorsogon.

Brogada, a tricycle driver, came from Brgy. Biriran to drop off a passenger. As he was nearing his house, a passenger of the motorcycle coming from the back of Brogada’s tricycle alighted and shot the victim four times. The first bullet came through Brogada’s nape which exited through his left cheek. Three other bullets were fired at his chest. The gun man casually aboarded the motorcycle bearing no plate number. The perpetrators went to the direction of the town center of Juban. Another motorcycle met with the perpetrator to receive the gun used to kill Brogada. It sped to the direction of the Brgy. Rangas where the headquarters of 31st Infantry Battalion Philippine Army is located. According to witnesses, Brogada was already being tailed by the gunman starting from Sitio Madlangaw, Brgy. Tabok.

Brogada is a member of Bayan Muna Sorsogon and was part of the Fact Finding Mission that documented the September 22 incident of bombing and strafing by 31st Infantry Battalion of the Phil. Army in Brgy. Calmayon and Brgy. Maalo, Juban, Sorsogon.

“Dito magaling ang gobyerno ni BS Aquino, ang mambomba ng mga komunidad, pumatay ng mga kritiko,” (This is what BS Aquino’s government good at, bombing communities and kill his critiques.) Palabay said in condemnation. “Yet, in addressing people’s concerns, preparing for disasters such as Yolanda and providing immediate relief to the survivors, we just don’t seem to see the government’s response,” Palabay ended.

———————————————————————

PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publicinfo@karapatan.org
Alliance for the Advancement of People’s Rights
2nd Floor, Erythrina Building
#1 Maaralin corner Matatag Streets
Central District, Diliman, Quezon City
PHILIPPINES 1101
Telefax: (+63 2) 4354146
Web: http://www.karapatan.org

KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign.

Human rights organization Karapatan today said, “The BS Aquino government’s so-called relief operation in calamity areas is equally disastrous as typhoon Yolanda. It’s been almost a week since the typhoon struck but people still cry for water, food, medicine and shelter. People who survived the typhoon are dying because of the government inability to respond to the situation.”

“Ill-equipped in responding to the disastrous condition of the victims and survivors of  typhoon Yolanda, the BS Aquino government turns its ire against the people, especially in Tacloban City, by deploying hundreds of police men and soldiers to contain ‘lawlessness and looting’,” said Karapatan secretary general Cristina Palabay.

Palabay further said that soldiers and police men, hundreds of them, were deployed in Tacloban City. Curfew was imposed and checkpoints were set up. “What’s next? This is another case of BS Aquino’s victim-blaming, not knowing it was his government’s inutilitythat drove people to find ways, on their own, to survive the situation,” she said.

Karapatan finds BS Aquino’s statement on November 10 “inappropriate and arrogant.” News reports quoted Aquino saying armored vehicles, as well as members of the Armed Forces, will be deployed in disaster areas to show ‘state power’.

“Amid the disaster, BS Aquino still finds time in attacking the victims, calling them looters and lawless. Meanwhile, Aquino’s spin doctors, apologists and paid hacks are busy urging people to stop criticizing BS Aquino and his government while alternately painting the typhoon survivors as zombies and security risks,” Palabay added.

Karapatan said the government is playing up lawlessness and looting among the victims of Yolanda to divert the nation’s attention and cover up its failure to immediately and effectively respond to the situation of the typhoon victims. “International and local aid are pouring in. It’s best the government focuses its efforts to facilitate aid provision to reach the intended beneficiaries as soon as possible instead of making up excuses and meeting people’s restiveness with restrictive and later, repressive measures,” said Palabay.

“As in the past, the Filipino people’s compassion and unity are manifested amid crisis. We call on the people to turn our collective frustration and anger into actions to demand accountability and for positive and meaningful change in the country, including a government responsive to the needs of the poor majority.  We also thank the peoples of the world for their concern and support as we call on the people to be vigilant in ensuring these donations end up with the intended beneficiaries,” Palabay ended.

———————————————————————
PUBLIC INFORMATION DESK
publicinfo@karapatan.org
———————————————————————