Luisita compromise deal, referendum will go down in history like ’04 massacre – KMU

“The so-called compromise agreement between Hacienda Luisita owners and Luisita farmers as well as the recent referendum will go down in history like the Nov. 16, 2004 massacre of farmers and farm workers who were calling for land reform – another proof of the Cojuangco and Aquino clans’ greed.”

This was labor center Kilusang Mayo Uno’s reaction to news reports revealing the truth about the referendum held in Hacienda Luisita over the weekend, as well as the “compromise agreement” between the hacienda’s owners and farmers.

News reports reveal that the referendum was conducted in haste and without sufficient information dissemination among farmers. Farmers were promised money in exchange for voting in favor of the Stock Distribution Option scheme and were ferried en masse to voting areas. This is on top of the massive deployment of military forces in the hacienda and the use of “fake” leaders to represent the farmers.

“As the truth continues to out, it is becoming increasingly clear that the referendum and the much-touted compromise agreement constitute another black eye for the Cojuangco and Aquino clans. These form part of another landmark in their long history of denying farmers the legitimate right to own the Luisita lands,” said Elmer “Bong” Labog, KMU chairperson.

“The Cojuangco and Aquino clans’ greed is simply mind-boggling. They refused to distribute the land in accordance with their initial agreement with the government. When Cory was president, they invented the SDO scheme to again deny the land to the farmers. Nobody believes they were not in cahoots with the Arroyo regime in launching the Nov. 16, 2004 massacre of farmers and farm workers. Now, this,” he added.

“Wait till the public learns about the patently illegal and anti-farmer provisions of the so-called compromise deal. It says farmers are waving the right to pursue legal actions on the Luisita management’s moves whether in the past or in the future. Because they are in such haste to finish the land reform issue off, they are showing the country and the world just how greedy they really are,” Labog said.

Noynoy hands off

The labor leader also criticized Pres. Simeon Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III for denying, through his spokesperson Edwin Lacierda, that he had a hand in crafting and pushing for the compromise agreement.

“That is a classic Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo move: denying responsibility for schemes that clearly benefit the sitting president, while saying that the matter should be resolved by those directly involved. That is not pagbabago; that is panggagantso,” Labog said.

“In case President Noynoy’s memory is failing him this early, we remind him: you are the president of the country and it is your family that owns Hacienda Luisita. You should intervene in a transparent matter on the case and uphold agrarian reform – that is, side with the farmers against your family and its paid minions,” he added.