Farm workers question DAR’s silence on missing Hacienda Luisita farmland

MANILA, Philippines – Farm workers questioned the Department of Agrarian Reform’s (DAR) silence on the missing 938 of the 4,335 hectares of farmland supposedly to be distributed to farmer beneficiaries of the Cojuangco-owned sugar estate Hacienda Luisita.

Hacienda Luisita workers. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

In a comment submitted to the Supreme Court, the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) said the high court, in its 2012 ruling, has mandated the distribution of 4,335 hectares based on the 1989 valuation of P40,000 per hectare.

The figure was arrived at by deducting 500 hectares sold by Luisita Industrial Park Corporation (LIPCO) and Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation (RCBC) and 80 hectares expropriated for Subic Clark Tarlac Expressway (SCTEX).

However, Land Bank of the Philippines said that only 3,393 hectares should be distributed following the valuation of P70,000 per hectare.

DAR said LBP has its own computation process.

AMBALA also told the high court that DAR appears to be favoring Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) when it turned down their choice of an auditing firm to study HLI’s books.

They said DAR turned down their choice due to HLI’s opposition. HLI is insisting on a different auditing firm.

“Under the principles of accounting and auditing, the party to be audited is supposed to be deprived of the right to select or choose the auditing firm that will conduct the audit of its own books. This is precisely to maintain the independence of the accounting firm and to see to it that the process is not tainted (with) irregularity,” the farm workers said.

“This is also necessary to prevent allegations of irregularity in the conduct of the audit. This is very elementary.  The public respondents should have known that. And that is the basis of the opposition of Ambala to the inclusion of HLI as a party to select the auditing firm,” they added.

“Clearly, the DAR by its actuations shows that it is biased in favor of HLI,” Ambala said.

Former Chief Justice Renato Corona attributed the high court’s ruling on Hacienda Luisita as the reason behind his impeachment.

The vast sugarland is owned by the family of President Benigno Aquino III.