New DAR chief: No special treatment for Hacienda Luisita case

MANILA, Philippines - Newly installed Agrarian Reform Secretary Virgilio de los Reyes said yesterday that the case of Hacienda Luisita, a vast sugarcane plantation owned by the family of President Aquino, would be treated like any ordinary case.

De los Reyes made this clear in his speech shortly after assuming office following a simple turnover ceremony yesterday.

The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) has been tight-lipped about the Hacienda Luisita case after the Supreme Court issued a temporary restraining order in November 2004, enjoining the agency to observe the status quo pending resolution of the case.

The Cojuangcos appealed to the high court the decision of the Presidential Agrarian Reform Council revoking the stock distribution option, which gives farmer-beneficiaries shares of stock instead of farm lots, and ordering the immediate distribution of the 5,000-hectare property in Tarlac.

De los Reyes also asked the support of the 14,000-strong DAR personnel nationwide to help him “do the job” and promised DAR employees that he would do his best to ensure that their mandate is carried out well within the prescribed period.

The Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program extension with reform (CARPer) Law will last up to 2014.

“Many of you have spent the best years of your life in the DAR. I promise you that your interests will be taken care of come 2014,” De los Reyes said as he addressed department employees.

Militant peasants: P-Noy is anti-poor

Meanwhile, farmer groups have filed complaints of abuse before the Commission on Human Rights in connection with the violent dispersal of their campout in Mendiola last Saturday, where 11 were wounded and 42 peasants and supporters arrested.

The militant Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) and the Katipunan ng mga Samahang Magbubukid sa Timog Katagalugan (KASAMA-TK) claimed that President Aquino has been disregarding the peasant issues being drummed up by peasants from Southern Tagalog and Central Luzon. 

“Aquino has no positive reaction to what is presently brewing. All his government has done so far is to repress people’s protest, particularly peasants calling for genuine land reform,” said Antonio Flores, KMP spokesperson and Tanggol Magsasaka co-convenor.

KMP has predicted that peasant unrest would heighten since the President did not promise to resolve landlessness, affirmed by the absence of land reform in his inaugural speech last June 30.

“President Noynoy has even approved of arming Civilian Armed Forces Geographical Units (CAFGU) and paramilitary groups to fight insurgency during his campaign and attend the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) ceremony where chief of staff Lt. Gen. Ricardo David promised to end insurgency in three years. He has also promised justice to media victims of extra-judicial killings but never to peasants and activists who were the most abused human rights victims,” said Flores.

KMP and KASAMA-TK said that Mr. Aquino has yet to do anything useful for the peasants.

“He showed no signs of giving up Hacienda Luisita and replacing Republic Act 9700 or Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program Extension with reforms with a genuine land reform program such as House Bill 374 or Genuine Agrarian Reform Bill (GARB). Aquino is also thoughtless about giving justice to victims of Mendiola and Hacienda Luisita massacres and human rights abuses under the Arroyo regime,” the group said.

The groups said that peasants are becoming more daring on their actions as they are presently being harassed by landlords who employ the AFP, Philippine National Police and private armed groups.

“Our regional and provincial chapters are now preparing for more aggressive campaigns for land and justice as Aquino shows no signs of change and reforms but similarities with the most-hated Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo reign of terror,” added Flores.

“We call on all sectors to push the people’s agenda as Aquino is ignoring our basic issues. This is the opportune time to drum up our issues. Aquino promised change but it seems he is adopting Arroyo’s political and economic programs. Killings continue, land grabbing, displacements proliferate in the countryside, dispersals of street protests carry on. He is no different from Arroyo, he is anti-peasant and anti-people,” he added.