MANILA, Philippines—Lawmakers on Thursday hailed the Supreme Court’s decision ordering the distribution of nearly 5,000 hectares of land belonging to Hacienda Luisita’s, which is owned by the family of President Benigno Aquino, to its tenants as a triumph of agrarian reform and the farmers.
“This is an important initial step to justice,” said Representatie Rafael V. Mariano of the party list Anakpawis, who also warned against any political and legal maneuvers by the Cojuangco-Aquinos to defy or counter the high court’s decision.
“President Benigno Simeon Aquino III and the Cojuangco-Aquino clan must respect and comply with the high court’s decision. The free distribution of Luisita lands must start now,” said the representative of farmers’ group in the lower chamber.
Mariano said the ball was now in the hands of the Hacienda Luisita owners and the Department of Agrarian Reform to immediately distribute the land which he said was long overdue.
He also proposed the immediate collective cultivation or “bungkalan” of Luisita land by farmers-beneficiaries.
The 56-page decision by the high court modified an earlier ruling that allowed farmers to choose through secret voting whether to remain as stockholders of Hacienda Luisita, Inc. or go for land distribution. It was in consideration of a petition filed by the Alyansa ng mga Magbubukid sa Hacienda Luisita (Ambala).
“Now that the SC has decided in favor of Luisita farmers and farm workers, the burden of implementation is with the President’s family, the Cojuangco-Aquinos, and the Department of Agrarian Reform,” said Mariano.
Manila Representative Amado Bagatsing urged the Aquino administration and supporters to respect the decision and immediately implement it in favor of the farmers.
“The Supreme Court has spoken… so be it,” Bagatsing said.
Aurora Representative Juan Edgardo Angara said he did not believe there was politics in the decision.
“I know it’s been pending for some time. The fact that it is unanimous probably means that there was very little politics involved and the legal issues were fairly cut and dried or straightforward,” Angara said.
The Akbayan party-list group said the decision was a great victory not only for the beneficiaries but also for every Filipino farmer.
“Now it is crystal clear, land distribution is the sole, genuine avenue of agrarian reform,” it said in a statement.
Akbayan said the decision affirmed the essence of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program — Extension with Reforms (CARPER): farmers must own the land they till and the onus is on the government to guarantee it.
The group also congratulated the farmers for their persistent struggle.
“This could not have been possible were it not for the persistent efforts of the broad peasant movement, which includes the Sumilao and Banasi farmers, among others, and the different social movements who lent support to the beneficiaries in this monumental struggle,” it added.
Citizens’ Battle Against Corruption (CIBAC) Representative Sherwin Tugna saw no politics behind the decision.
“The Supreme Court merely interpreted the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Law which said that farmers will only have control of the land they till only when it is awarded to them being the rightful owners,” he said.
Tugna said the next step should be the provision of proper assistance and capability-building training for the farmers so that they will be able to maximize the use of their land parcels.
“I think the farmer-beneficiaries have a strong organization already and what the government can do is to channel its capability-building efforts and programs through this group,” Tugna said.
He said that forming a cooperative will also “buttress them against unscrupulous merchants who are out to divest the farmers of land which they fought with their life and blood for a long time.”
He said the ruling was “a beacon of hope for land reform in this country,” adding that the “inequitable distribution of land was one of the reasons why the country has remained divided and economically backward.”
Gabriela Party-list Representative Emmi de Jesus said another day of delay in the distribution of land would mean another day of injustice for the farm workers.
“The President must ensure that land distribution is coupled with production assistance so as to ensure that big corporate growers will not take advantage of cash-strapped farmers,” De Jesus said.
Kabataan Party-list Representative Raymond Palatino said the ruling was a “historic victory” for the farmer beneficiaries.
“However, given the political dominance of the Aquino-Cojuanco family in the country, it is crucial that we remain vigilant until the lawful distribution of the bloodied Hacienda Luisita estate has been strictly implemented and completed,” Palatino said.
Voting unanimously, the 14 justices of the tribunal agreed to void the stock distribution plan which Hacienda Luisita Inc. offered to farmworker-beneficiaries in lieu of actual land ownership.
Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio inhibited himself from the deliberations on years-old land dispute.