JOINING farmers picket Pres. Noynoy Aquino’s house along Times Street in Quezon City this morning, workers led by national labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno branded as “fake” the land reform currently being implemented by the government in Hacienda Luisita and said what’s being done in Luisita illustrates land reform under Aquino.
KMU condemned the reduction of hacienda lands being distributed to farmers, the refusal to recognize beneficiaries’ bid to collectively own lands, moves to force farmers to sign Applications of Purchase and Farmers Undertaking, the imposition of unaffordable amortization for lands, and the deployment of police forces in the hacienda during raffles for land.
“Land reform under Aquino is not land reform at all. It is merely a charade aimed at hiding from view how landlords concentrate lands in their hands,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.
“Unable to reverse the Supreme Court’s final and executory ruling subjecting Luisita to land reform, the Aquino government is availing of pro-landlord provisions of the land reform law in order to preserve the Cojuangco-Aquino family’s control over the hacienda,” he added.
“There simply is no recognition that Luisita’s farm workers have for decades worked, struggled, and died for ownership of the hacienda’s lands. The Aquino government and the Cojuangco-Aquino family continue to deny justice to the farm workers of Luisita,” he said.
The Alyansa ng Magbubukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) said that more than 1,000 hectares of land were removed from lands that are scheduled to be distributed, that AMBALA’s members were denied the chance to collectively own lands, and that beneficiaries’ amortization would amount to more than P800,000 excluding interest and payment of land taxes.
KMU said the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with Reforms or CARPER by the Department of Agrarian Reform in Hacienda Luisita show that the CARPER Law legalizes fake land reform and should be junked immediately.
“CARPER denies the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita of their land and is a fake land reform law that must be junked. It is clear that Luisita’s farm workers have more than paid for the ownership of the hacienda’s lands,” Labog said.
“We call on the farm workers of Hacienda Luisita to strengthen their unity to assert their rightful ownership of the hacienda’s lands against the evil schemes of Noynoy and the Cojuangco-Aquinos. We call on all Filipinos to continue to be vigilant with regard to Hacienda Luisita and to contine to support Luisita’s farm workers,” he added.
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