House probe sought into Luisita price

MANILA, Philippines—The Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives is seeking a probe into the alleged excessive mark-up in the compensation handed to the relatives of President Aquino for the 4,000 hectares of Hacienda Luisita that was distributed to tenants in Tarlac.

In House Resolution No. 466, the seven-member Makabayan bloc asked the committee on good government and public accountability to conduct an inquiry in aid of legislation into the alleged overpayment by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) to the Cojuangco family.

The acquisition cost for the Hacienda Luisita land was reportedly P471.501 million.

“This transaction reveals the government’s prolandlord bias in the implementation of the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). The DAR has used taxpayer money to further enrich the Cojuangcos,” said the bloc in its resolution.

ACT Teachers party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio, a member of the militant bloc, revealed that of the P471.501 million paid to Hacienda Luisita Inc., P167.468 million, or 35.5 percent, was the interest on top of the P304.033-million actual cost of the land.

But Agrarian Reform Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Anthony Parungao denied there was an overpayment, saying the CARP Law allowed for such interest payments.—Gil Cabacungan