Rejoinder to Alex Magno's Jan 30 column

MANILA, Philippines - “Repeat a lie a thousand times and it becomes the truth” was the favored mantra of known propagandist Dr. Joseph Goebbels. Apparently this was what Mr. Alex Magno, wittingly or unwittingly, had in mind when he devoted his entire 30 January column issue of the Philippine STAR to the alleged history of Hacienda Luisita and why it must haunt the candidacy of Sen. Benigno S. Aquino III, who incidentally owns precisely 0.00496 percent of Hacienda Luisita.

Amidst the convoluted “facts” written by Mr. Magno, I take exception to the following: First, Sen. Noynoy Aquino was not the vice president for security of Luisita during the dispersal of the strikers in 2005. In fact, he was never vice president for security for Hacienda Luisita Inc. at any point in time, as he only managed the Field Services Division of Central Azucarera de Tarlac before his first term as Tarlac representative.

Had Mr. Magno bothered to verify his facts by checking public documents, he would have discovered that due to the prevalent dollar control policy in 1957, the Cojuangcos had to secure permission from the Central Bank to ensure access to foreign currency to pay off their loan from Manufacturer’s Bank and Trust.

Curiously, Mr. Magno failed to mention that the case against Hacienda Luisita was initiated under the regime of the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, which reeked of political persecution, much like the hatchet job being orchestrated by Crispin Remulla, a known ally of Sen. Manny Villar, forerunner in the presidential race before Sen. Aquino heeded the call of the people to run.  

Second, the P83 million paid by the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) to Hacienda Luisita Inc. was compensation for the road right of way and not for the construction of the interchange because the road through Luisita was the most direct route to link the Subic and Clark ports to the Tarlac Industrial zone. The purchase of the land was in accordance with the government’s original plan for SCTEX, and did not require any diversion whatsoever. In the C5 controversy, the original plan was abandoned to give way to the road re-alignment which traversed a number of Sen. Manny Villar’s properties.

Lastly, despite general statements to the contrary, Mr. Magno’s column failed to call into question any specific act of Sen. Aquino for which the latter should be held accountable. Did Sen. Aquino participate in any meeting relating to the project, did he lobby for it in any forum, did he use his position, then and now, to benefit himself or his family?

No. Sen. Aquino certainly did not use his influence as a legislator to push for the project. This is in stark contrast to Senator Villar who even used funds from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to pay for the road right of way purchased from his own companies.

The issue is not about Noynoy nor about the Cojuangco family, but he is being maliciously dragged into the fray by Sen. Villar’s allies in their desperate effort to turn a straightforward government transaction into an empty controversy, perhaps to divert attention from their candidate’s improper refusal to defend himself in the Senate.

And Mr. Magno, no matter how oft-repeated a lie is, it will never become the truth as long as there are intelligent people who can tell the difference.  

Incidentally, in the spirit of truth and transparency, Mr. Magno should perhaps disclose the fact that he is one of those who crafted the platform of former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro. 

Not only does he foist lies time and again, he hides his own complicity in the demolition job against Senator Aquino. — Atty. EDWIN LACIERDA, Spokesperson ([email protected]), Presidential Campaign of Benigno S. Aquino III