Palace non-committal on Hacienda Luisita ruling

MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang withheld comment Wednesday on the Supreme Court’s decision calling for another referendum among workers of Hacienda Luisita on whether they want to get farm lots or hold on to shares of stock in the company that owns and manages the sugar estate of President Aquino’s family.

In a noontime briefing at the Palace, presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said Agrarian Reform Secretrary Virgilio de los Reyes and Solicitor-General Jose Anselmo Cadiz were having discussions on what the government’s next move would be on the Luisita dispute.

Asked if President Aquino had given any instructions with respect to the ruling, Lacierda said, “There’s none. All I can say is that Secretary Gil de los Reyes is meeting with Solicitor General Cadiz.”