AGRARIAN Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano urged farmers of the Hacienda Luisita Inc. under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program to unite against the landlord oligarchy of the Cojuangco-Aquino clan.
Mariano met with 120 members of the Alyansa ng mga Manggagawang Bukid sa Asyenda Luisita (Ambala), led by chairperson Florida Sibayan and vice chairperson Rudy Corpuz, along with Barangay Lourdes councilor Abednego Nigogalang, to address disputes within the ranks of the farmers.
“Now, more than ever, we need the peasant movement to be a united front in our fight for genuine agrarian reform. Let us remember who the real enemies are. Let us unite against landlord-oligarchs,” Mariano declared.
Despite DAR’s July 1 status quo order, he said, the agency has been receiving mounting complaints of destruction to properties in the past months.
“Regardless as to whether or not such persons anchored their claims on the basis of certificates of land ownership award, it is imperative to maintain the status quo that no person should directly or indirectly dispossess or abet the dispossession of farmers presently occupying the land or the destruction of any crops,” the order read.
Last January, Ambala complained that its makeshift houses used as headquarters were reportedly demolished by alleged goons of the Cojuangco clan, the most recent attack in the “bungkalan” area in Barangay Mapalacsiao.
In December last year, a weeklong tension between armed goons and the Ambala farmers last forced the latter to evacuate their cultivation areas.
According to Mariano, amid the series of protest dialogues held at the sugar plantation, DAR and its regional and provincial offices have been mediating between CLOA holders who became beneficiaries through the “tambiolo” raffle scheme or lottery scheme and the longtime tillers of the parcels of land.
The agrarian reform chief advised the farmers and the other parties involved to stay away from committing acts that would undermine the actions of DAR until a proper determination has been made.
Voting 14-0 on April 24, 2012, the Supreme Court ordered the total distribution of Hacienda Luisita to about 6,000 farmer-beneficiaries.
On Feb. 6, Mariano issued Administrative Order No. 1 suspending the guidelines requiring farmers to sign promissory notes, or the application to purchase and farmers’ undertaking.
AFPU binds the farmer-beneficiaries to pay their monthly amortizations to the Land Bank of the Philippines and real-property taxes over a period of 30 years.
On Aug. 26, 2014, then secretary Virgilio delos Reyes disqualified 111 Hacienda Luisita farmers to become CLOA holders for their refusal to sign the promissory note.
Yesterday, Mariano gave the Ambala farmers the assurance to cover the 111 disqualified farmers as beneficiaries of the agrarian reform program and find available lot assignments for them.