Aquino cites progress in agrarian reform

MANILA, Philippines—On the 25th anniversary of the so-called Mendiola massacre Sunday, the Palace insisted that there has been progress in achieving agrarian reform in the country, citing the resolution of the Hacienda Luisita dispute.

Deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said the issue of Hacienda Luisita, owned by the family of the President Aquino, has been resolved by the Supreme Court.  (However, the relatives of President Aquino, the Cojuangcos, have filed a motion for reconsideration on the Supreme Court ruling, particularly on the compensation to be given to them.)

Valte said that Agrarian Reform Secretary Gil de los Reyes was in Tarlac recently to talk to tenant-farmers about the High Court decision for the Cojuangcos to turn over the land to tenant farmers.

“It’s a massive information campaign for the farmers to know what the decision was,” Valte said in an interview over government radio dzRB.

Twenty-five years ago on Jan. 22, 1987, 13 farmers were killed and scores injured when the military under the late President Corazon Aquino fired upon their rally in Mendiola.