President Aquino out of Luisita–Palace
President Benigno Aquino III has divested himself of his interest in Hacienda Luisita, while the government has to abide by the Supreme Court decision calling for another referendum among farm workers at the sugar estate.
This was Malacañang’s reaction to the call of militant farmers for Mr. Aquino—as chair of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council (PARC) and as a member of the Cojuangco clan that owns Luisita—to cause the redistribution of the 6,000-hectare property to its workers.
“I think [that], number one, let’s be clear, the President has already divested his shares,” said presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda at Thursday’s news briefing at the Palace.
“Number two, all the more [now] that there’s an SC decision, that decision must be observed,” he said.
At the same time, however, Lacierda said the government was still awaiting the recommendations of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the Office of the Solicitor General (OSG) on what action to take regarding the Supreme Court ruling.
“Again, we still don’t know. I cannot comment on the decision yet because I cannot comment on what course of action this government will take,” said Lacierda.
“Are we going to abide by (the Supreme Court decision)? Are we going to file an appeal? Are we going to file a motion for reconsideration? I am not aware of any decision yet taken by the OSG. Once it is made, (Solicitor General) Joel Cadiz will inform us on what action they will take,” he said.
Lacierda indicated that a decision on how the government should proceed would be made 15 days after it receives an official copy of the high court’s ruling.
“We’re time-bound here. A motion for reconsideration would always be 15 days from the receipt of the decision,” Lacierda said.
“We don’t know if we have officially received a copy of the decision. That’s the time when the prescription will run,” he added.
‘Defy high court order’
Militant farmers group Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) has slammed the President for keeping quiet on the Supreme Court’s decision ordering a new referendum among farm workers at Hacienda Luisita.
In a statement, the KMP also urged the DAR to defy the high court’s ruling revoking the 1989 stock distribution plan at the estate owned by the Cojuangco family.
“President Aquino’s deafening silence clearly shows that he tolerates his family’s illegal and immoral control of Hacienda Luisita and the continuing social injustice and denial of farm workers’ just and legitimate rights to the land,” said KMP spokesperson Antonio Flores.
Flores said Mr. Aquino’s hands-off stance showed his “ineptitude, weak leadership and lack of political will.”
“The President is a Cojuangco. It is absolutely incredible that he will not take the side of his family in the Hacienda Luisita dispute,” Flores said in a statement.
The peasant group said the SC decision was meant to preserve the family’s “stranglehold” over the 6,000-hectare sugar estate.
‘Democratic decision’
In Tarlac, Gov. Victor Yap said the Supreme Court’s ruling allowing the farm workers at Luisita to decide on the manner of land reform they wanted was “democratic.”
“I think they (justices) are going for a democratic mode, giving options. Those who want land will get land and those for stocks will [get them]. Is there a better outcome?” Yap said.
On Tuesday, the high court reaffirmed a PARC resolution revoking the stock distribution option that granted the workers shares of stock in the corporation that runs the hacienda, instead of their own parcels of land.
But the tribunal also ordered the DAR to hold a referendum among the farmers to determine if they wanted to continue with the SDO or receive land.
Vice Gov. Pearl Pacada said the decision was a “balancing act” favoring both interests.
“Since the high court knows what it is doing, all we want is for everyone to exercise sobriety. The ruling might be interpreted differently by the stakeholders—[we should] go by the rule of law,” she said.
She called on both the Hacienda Luisita Inc. management and the workers to soften their positions over the referendum issue to prevent violence. With reports from Jo Martinez-Clemente and Tonette Orejas, Inquirer Central Luzon
