THE Alyansa ng Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) and the Unyon ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Agrikultura (UMA) blasted the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for saying that they will strike out as beneficiaries those who refused to sign the Application to Purchase and Farmers Understanding (APFU) in the just concluded sham distribution of Lot Application Certificates (LAC) in Hacienda Luisita.
In the first place, there should be free distribution of the land in the Hacienda and this should go beyond the bounds of the pro-landlord CARPER. As such DAR has no right to disqualify those who joined the APFU because the farm workers (FWs) and farmers of the Hacienda are not simple beneficiaries under CARPER. Why would they be made to pay for the land that they already own?
When the hacienda became a company called Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI), the FWs became its co-owners by having 1/3 of the assets of the company. This asset is the 4,915 hectares of agricultural land. And the FWs were required to work to own their share in the asset of the corporation, then the qualified FWs, having had rendered work to earn their share in the asset of HLI, should be considered to have paid the land. They earned it, owned it, and have already paid for it by their labor.
Other than that, their ownership of the land had already been recognized no less by the Supreme Court when it ordered the payment of the proceeds of the sale of the 580.15 hectares which amounted to P1.33 billion to them.
In addition to this, the Supreme Court (SC) has also recognized the ownership of the FWs on the home lots already awarded to them. While it ordered the government to pay just compensation to HLI for the value of the home lot, it did not require the FWs to pay for their home lots. The SC also never mentioned in their decision that the FWs should pay amortization to the lands to be awarded to them.
Other than this, AMBALA had also already filed a motion on the LAC among other issues in the Hacienda. The the SC gave DAR 10 days from August 9 to answer said motion. The Supreme Court should act on this with haste and declare DAR’s Lot Application Certificate distribution which includes the APFUnull and void.
Basically, the LAC distribution in the Hacienda is a sham because this was implemented by the DAR through deceit and intimidation with the support of the military and the police. This is more to please its owners, which includes President Aquino.
The President wants to boast that CARPER is successful and that this has the wide support of the farm workers in the Hacienda. This is dispelled by the continuing struggle of the farm workers and the people there.
The post DAR has no right to strike out Hacienda Luisita beneficiaries for refusing to sign APFU appeared first on Remate.