No raps to be filed over Luisita fire

CAMP OLIVAS, Pampanga, Philippines  – Hacienda Luisita Inc. (HLI) will no longer file charges against the 30 farmers who allegedly burned 300 hectares of the sugar plantation last Friday, destroying P1 million worth of crops in the process.

Tarlac police said the complainants, who requested not to be identified, have made arrangements with the suspects.

“We were convincing them to file charges against the arsonists but they told us they are no longer interested in the case,” said Tarlac chief of police Supt. Arnel Ramos. 

He claimed not to know what arrangements the complainants made with the suspects. 

Ramos said the motive of the suspects in burning the plantation is to force the HLI to distribute the land to the farmers.

He quoted them as saying: “Gusto lang namin magkaroon ng parte sa kikitain sa sugarcane plantation na amin pag-aari na dapat napamahagi na sa amin. (We just want to have a part in the earnings of the sugarcane plantation that we own and should have been distributed among us).”

The sugarcane plantation is rented by the Hacienda Luisita Independent Planters Association, Azucal Incorporated and other farmers from Sugarcane Farming Agricultural Corporation from HLI.

Poliuce invited the suspects on Monday for questioning, but released them because no complaint was filed against them.  

Ramos said he was waiting for the complainants to file charges in his office on Wednesday but they never did. 

At least 30 farmers allegedly led by

Barangay Kagawad Pual Mallari, Kagawad Hilario Hipolito, Leonila Halili, Dominador Salian, all of Barangay Balete, and Felix Nacpil, chairman of Alyansang Magbubukid ng Asyenda Luisita (AMBALA) were allegedly involved in the incident.

The fire started at around 10:30 a.m. and lasted until 2 p.m.

Nacpil had said that he was not in the area when the fire happened and that he was talking to a certain Lito Laus, auditor of HLI.

Farmers’ groups Unyon ng Manggagawa sa Agrikultura (UMA) and the United Luisita Workers Union (ULWU) also denied involvement in the incident and accused the HLI management of perpetrating the fire to scare land beneficiaries and compel them to let go of their claims.