Ex-DAR chief accused of conniving to avoid Luisita distribution

A militant peasant group on Monday accused former Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Secretary Virgilio Delos Reyes of “conniving” with the Cojuangco-Aquino family to prevent land distribution to Hacienda Luisita farmers.

The Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) in a press release said the “staunch defense” of Hacienda Luisita counsel and spokesperson Antonio Ligon of the tambiolo land reform, which is the raffle system to distribute farm lots, proved there was collusion between the DAR and the Cojuangco-Aquino family.

“Delos Reyes (has) consciously and deliberately connived with the Cojuangco-Aquino family to circumvent land distribution and divide the ranks of farmers clamoring for genuine land reform in Hacienda Luisita,” KMP said.

Ligon earlier argued that the DAR properly implemented the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program in Hacienda Luisita.

KMP chairperson Joseph Canlas said the tambiolo land reform “is a clear circumvention” of a Supreme Court decision in 2012 which required the distribution of Luisita lands to more than 6,000 farmers.

“Everything about the lot allocation through lottery or ‘tambiolo land reform’ is fraudulent. For the past six years, the Aquino-controlled DAR and the Cojuangcos have used deception, coercion and intimidation in Luisita,” Canlas added.

Canlas said the land reform was part of a “grand scheme” of the Aquino-Cojuangco family to displace the legitimate benefactors from the land.

“DAR deceived the farmers by promising them Land Allocation Certificates. Farmers were coerced through force with the heavy presence of military and goons in the hacienda,” Canlas said. “The maneuvers never stopped. From the bogus CARP, the Stock Distribution Option (SDO), up to the tambiolo land reform, all these were used by the Cojuangco-Aquinos to displace legitimate farmer beneficiaries and maintain control over the lands.”

Canlas urged the Cojuangco-Aquino family to give up Hacienda Luisita and allow new DAR secretary Rafael Mariano to do his job. Kathryn Jedi Baylon, INQUIRER.net trainee/KS/JE/rga

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