MANILA, Philippines—Two days before the fifth anniversary of the Hacienda Luisita massacre, militant leaders called on presidential aspirants to make a stand on the issue of land reform and the distribution of land to peasants.

Pointing out that most candidates come from land-owning families, Bayan secretary general Renato Reyes Jr said land reform and Hacienda Luisita have become a political and not just an agrarian issue.

“We challenge the candidates, like Noynoy (Aquino) and the others, to make clear their position on land reform and give justice to the families who died fighting for land,” Reyes said Saturday.

November 16 is the fifth anniversary of the Hacienda Luisita massacre in which the farmers claim 14 of them were killed. The National Bureau of Investigation says only seven farmers were killed.

On Nov. 16, 2004, police and military forces dispersed striking hacienda farmers who were protesting their take home pay and the retrenchment of workers at the Hacienda.

In a press conference Saturday, Reyes called on presidential candidates, including Aquino and his cousin, Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro, to make their positions clear on issues such as the distribution of land to farmers.

“They should answer the question: Are they in favor of direct distribution of land to farmers? Or would they choose to avoid the issue of land reform?” he said.

Rep. Rafael Mariano of the Anakpawis party list issued a similar challenge as he pointed out that land reform has already become an electoral issue.

“Will they be in favor of junking the stock distribution option? They should have a clear stance on these issues,” he added.

The Anakpawis party list, along with the Kilusang Mayo Uno, Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas and Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap, will launch a people’s caravan on Monday, November 16, to mark the fifth anniversary of the Hacienda Luisita massacre.

Mariano said the caravan will be composed of around 100 vehicles traveling from the Department of Agrarian Reform office in Quezon City to Hacienda Luisita in Tarlac.

The assembly time at the DAR office will be at 6 a.m. The caravan is expected to reach Hacienda Luisita by 11 a.m.

“More than 1,000 people from the National Capital Region and nearby provinces will troop to Tarlac to express solidarity with the farmers there. We will be welcomed by more than 1,000 people from the hacienda for a program. The families of those who died in the 2004 massacre will be at the forefront,” Mariano said.

Representative Joel Maglungsod, also of Anakpawis, bewailed how five years after the massacre, the land has not yet been distributed to the farmers.

“The stock distribution option should be junked so that farmers can own the land… Not much progress has been done to the cases filed against those criminally liable for the incident,” he said.