Junk the Cojuangco-Aquino motion for reconsideration! Free and unconditional distribution of lands to Hacienda Luisita farmers – now!

Today, three months after the Supreme Court released its decision to distribute the lands of Hacienda Luisita to farm workers, we march to call on the Supreme Court as a collegial body: Junk the Cojuangco-Aquino family’s motion for reconsideration! Implement the free and unconditional distribution of Luisita’s lands to farmers – now!

Amidst the efforts by the powerful Cojuangco-Aquino family and the government of Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III to stall the implementation of the SC decision and reverse the decision, we call on the Supreme Court to stand its ground on the issue of Luisita.

At the same time, we call on the Supreme Court to: (1) remove in the decision the provision on compensating the Cojuangco-Aquinos, (2) include in the coverage of the decision the 500-hectare land purchased by RCBC (3) include the 1,000-hectare land excluded by the decision, (4) firm up the provision on the Cojuangco-Aquinos’ payment to the farmers from the earnings from selling lands to corporations, and (5) declare the Stock Distribution Option in all haciendas in the country unconstitutional.

The Supreme Court should take the motion for reconsideration filed by the Cojuangco-Aquinos as an opportunity to further uphold the interests of the Luisita farm workers.

We condemn the Cojuangco-Aquino family for having the gall to file a motion for reconsideration after decades of exploiting farm workers, denying them the land that rightfully belongs to them, and amassing a huge fortune from their labor and lives.

We condemn Pres. Aquino for advancing the interests of his family by emphasizing the provision on “just compensation” which is contained in the Supreme Court decision.

We call on the Filipino workers, farmers and people to stand up and fight for the farmers of Hacienda Luisita – against the Cojuangco-Aquino family and the government of Pres. Aquino. It is getting clearer by the day that Pres. Aquino is hell-bent on reversing the Supreme Court decision on Luisita or on increasing the compensation that his family will receive in exchange for the distribution of Luisita lands to farm workers.